Brands that had big March Madness ad plans are scrambling to adjust their marketing after the NCCA on Thursday canceled the three-week tournament due to the coronavirus outbreak. The event, set to air across the networks of CBS and Turner Sports, is a major spring showcase for brands in a host of categories—including beer, automotive, insurance, telcom, fast food and financial services—that have plowed hundreds of millions of dollars into the tourney.
Corona, which normally sits out March Madness, was buying in the event this year in hopes of extending the beer’s reach “outside of our core 120 days of summer,” John Alvarado, senior VP of brand marketing for the beer division of brand owner Constellation Brands, recently told Ad Age.
Corona’s basketball-themed ads feature former National Basketball Association star Kenny Smith, and plug into the fan telephone “hotline” approach it has used in football for years. Asked about how it will adjust, a spokeswoman said: “We will continue to invest in the brand, and are looking at where those dollars will be best served.” But with the NBA season now suspended—Corona’s ads were already running in pro games—there are not many options for contextual hoops-themed creative.