March Madness
Landing Page
March Madness is a huge promotion at Columbia Threadneedle Investments. Each year, they run a campaign giving out the tournament brackets - along with the cost to attend each school.
The challenge was to do something new and different. In years past, They’d show stock photo’s of models in uniforms with a LOT of basketball puns. All the creative teams submitted competing concepts and mine was the big winner.
The solution was to move away from basketball and instead talk about dreams. Every kid has one, and it may take a college degree to make it come true - thus the tagline “College is their shot. 529 is the assist”. Ultimately, we’re telling people how expensive college is and pushing our Future Scholar 529 plan.
The landing page was the hub for the promotion. Every piece drives here, it’s where financial advisors can download both our tournament brackets and some 529 related resources. The brackets and the cost to attend make for great client conversation starters.
It also includes a clock that counts down to the final game of the tournament for visual flair.
The result was fantastic. Stakeholders were thrilled at the new direction, financial advisors noticed the difference and were pleased with the refresh. Bracket downloads exceeded goals and past benchmarks. And it’s been entered into a bunch of award shows. Fingers crossed.
Exit Intent Modal
If they go to close out the page without taking action we serve up this modal asking their one go-to with 529s. If they answer, we provide a link to the firms College Cost Calculator in return.
Emails
One email to let financial advisors know the brackets are ready for download. And a post-tournament email beginning a conversation about 529s.
Brackets
The front of the brackets show the cost to attend each school in the tournament. The back side highlights Columbia’s Future Scholar 529 plan and the benefits.
Animated Banner Ads
I did a bunch of these all in different sizes.Two are included here just so you can see how they work in any size depending on the image selected. They continue the “dreams” concepts while literally wrapping the numbers 529 around the kids.
Importantly, these kids don’t exist. We created them using AI so we got exactly what we needed without the photoshoot or stock photo payments.
Social Media
One branded, continuing our theme of making dreams come true. And a carousel that specifically gives our tournament brackets for both the mens and women’s games.
Website Ad
Continuing the “dreams” theme of the campaign, we have a right rail and skinny banner ad on the company website for financial advisors to see that both point to our tournament landing page.
Mailer
Label, card and office tabletop basketball game sent to 529 teams.
