March Madness is known for creating heart-stopping, awe-inspiring moments as 68 college basketball teams get whittled down to just one that is crowned the N.C.A.A. men’s basketball champion. For this year’s Final Four in Houston, Texas, N.C.A.A. sponsor AT&T worked with Team Epic and MKTG to create an immersive activation at the Final Four Fan Fest designed to help fans feel connected to the game, which ties to the brand’s marketing campaign.
“Our current campaign is all about the 'Network of You'—how AT&T’s network is personalized and keeps you connected to the things that are important to you any time and any place,” said Enrique Casanova, vice president of Team Epic. “There is probably no other sporting event in this country that creates the roller coaster of emotions that the N.C.A.A. tournament does. So we wanted to see if there’s a way to capture that emotion in a tangible way and show people what it feels like, to give college basketball fans that very future-forward, connected experience.”
To do that, the team built an experience dubbed “Pressure Point” as part of the AT&T Fan Zone inside the George R. Brown Convention Center Friday to Monday. The space was made to look like a front court in basketball. As participants stepped up to free throw line, a variety of sensory elements kicked in to simulate what players experience when shooting a game-winning shot. Large screens on either side of the court displayed the faces of fans as their cheers played through speakers. Dramatic lighting put the spotlight on the participant, while flashbulbs appeared to go on and off in the background and the floor pulsated to simulate a heartbeat. In addition, each participant wore a biometric wristband from Atlas Wearables that tracked changes in their heart rate as they prepared to take a shot. At the end of the experience, guests received their personalized biometric data and a video of their shot that they could share on social media.
“We wanted to give fans an experience they will appreciate, that they will remember, and that they will want to share,” Casanova said.
AT&T hosted a variety of other events at the Final Four. Within its brand zone, it created a “Vine Studio” where popular Vine creators were available to create videos with fans. On Friday, the brand sponsored the AT&T Block Party at the March Madness Music Festival, with performances from Fall Out Boy, Panic at the Disco, and Lukas Graham. AT&T also provided charging stations, DirectTV broadcasts, custom T-shirts, a virtual reality experience, and more. Additional vendors for the brand’s activities included Pearl Media and Look Listen.
