Description
Marking the 16th year as the official sponsor of the NCAA March Madness tournament, Capital One is back again with a continuation of its fully integrated March Madness campaign, "Capital One Road Trip,” created by agency of record, GSD&M.
Capital One is back on the road, bringing along Charles Barkley, Samuel L. Jackson, Magic Johnson, and Jennifer Garner as well as new faces like WNBA star Caitlin Clark. As they head to the Final Four, they remind viewers that March Madness is about the journey, not just the destination, while helping fans create new memories and celebrate the tournament’s most iconic moments.
This year, Capital One and GSD&M set out to break through to audiences in a crowded landscape, to stay top of mind as a tournament sponsor, and further strengthen the association with the Capital One brand and its products.
The campaign will feature five new :30 TV spots, including:
Sorry Sam Jackson - Samuel L. Jackson and Jennifer Garner hop off a bus and arrive at a March Madness game surrounded by cheering fans outside the stadium. After Sam declares his bracket is busted, Charles Barkley and the crew break into a cheerful song, cheekily titled “Sorry Sam Jackson.”
Naismith Goes to the Final Four - Charles Barkley, Samuel L. Jackson, and Magic Johnson are seated courtside at the Final Four, where they’re joined by Will Forte as Dr. James Naismith, best known as the inventor of basketball. Naismith holds up a sign stating, “I traveled from 1891 to be here,” and is a bit out of place amongst the sea of modern fans.
Chuck’s Got Games - The iconic group heads to the arcade, paying for tokens using their Capital One Savor Card, specifically to reap the benefits of their 3% cashback on dining and entertainment. After playing a variety of games like Ba-Skee-Ball, the spot ends with Charles Barkley climbing onto a throne made of basketballs reserved only for “Basketball Royalty.”
Bankover - The group plans a March Madness themed sleepover outfitted in Capital One pajamas, where they make friendship bracelets, with sayings like, “No fees or minimums on checking accounts,” tell ghost stories, and even prank call Jennifer Garner.
Raining 3% - Charles Barkley, Samuel L. Jackson, and Magic Johnson meet WNBA superstar Caitlin Clark at a diner, who later follows them as she shoots “3’s” of ice cream, cheeseburgers, coffee, and soft pretzels.
The fully integrated campaign will include unique social content, digital display, in-stadium and OOH signage, including buses. The iconic Chuck Blimp will fly over Phoenix and Indianapolis for the Final Four and Championship games.
REPRESENTATIVE QUOTES
GSD&M: “This year, we wanted to keep building on the momentum we’ve created with Capital One for March Madness,” said Ryan Carroll, Executive Creative Director at GSD&M. “The Road Trip lets us show up in a way that feels true to the tournament by celebrating the moments fans care about while keeping the Capital One brand front and center throughout the month.”
This professional campaign titled 'Capital One Road Trip' was published in United States in March, 2026. It was created for the brand: Capital One, by ad agency: GSD&M. This Film and Integrated media campaign is related to the Finance and Sports industries and contains 5 media assets. It was submitted 10 minutes ago.
Credits
Capital One
Chief Brand Officer: Marc Mentry
SVP, Brand Strategy, Advertising, Media and Experiential Sponsorships: Daniel McCaskey
VP, Brand: Chad Paisley
Director, Brand Advertising: Brooke Man
Senior Manager, Brand Advertising: Annalee Barkstrom
Manager, Brand Advertising: Brandi Domingo
Senior Associate, Brand Advertising: Alana Boyd
MVP, Social Media and Content Marketing: Lindsay Hansen
VP, Social Media, Content and Brand Governance: Ben Freidson
Director, Brand Social: Blair Matthews
Senior Manager, Brand Social: Rae Loseman
Principal Associate, Brand Social: Emily Hahn
Senior Associate, Brand Social: Caitlin Gibney
VP, Brand Sponsorships & Experiential: Byron Daub
Senior Director, Brand Sponsorships & Experiential: Stephanie Mosley
Director, Brand Sponorships & Experiential Marketing: Trevor Minor
Manager, Brand Sponorships & Experiential Marketing: Max Hedgepeth
Manager, Brand Sponorships & Experiential Marketing: Jaimie Sams
GSD&M
Chief Creative Officer: Jay Russell
Executive Creative Director: Maria D’Amato
Executive Creative Director: Ryan Carroll
SVP, Group Creative Director: Scott Brewer
Creative Director (Raining 3%, Sorry Sam Jackson, Naismith Goes to the Final Four): Dale Austin
Creative Director (Raining 3%, Sorry Sam Jackson, Naismith Goes to the Final Four): Brandon Curl
Creative Director (Chuck’s Got Games): Ryan Warner
Creative Director (Chuck’s Got Games): Justin Han
Art Director (Bankover, Naismith Goes to the Final Four): Mara Gutierrez
Copywriter (Bankover, Naismith Goes to the Final Four): Cole Walsh
Associate Creative Director (Social): Will Hammack
Associate Creative Director (Social): Jack Rogosin
Associate Creative Director (OOH, Display): Tj Vining
Senior Writer (OOH, Display): Clare Davis
Associate Creative Director: Matt Barker
Associate Creative Director: Phil Davies
Junior Art Director (Social): Carli Aldape
Junior Writer (Social): Paris Cipollone
Executive Producer: Jon Ellis
Senior Content Producer: Rolando Romero
Producer (Social): Natalia Perez
VP, Senior Print Producer: Kelly Grant
Digital Producer: Connor Miranda
Senior Manager, Talent: Chris Quinn
Senior Business Affairs Specialist: Tamika Knight
VP, Group Strategy Director: Chelsea Vargas
Communications Strategy Director: Jena Crabtree
Associate Stategy Director: Annie Arendes
Associate Director, Social Media: Sammy Rippon
Chief Client Officer: Nancy Ryan
VP, Group Account Director: Jodi Bucciarelli
Account Director: Lindsey Kuhn
Account Supervisor: Jenny Terway
Account Manager: Owen Lee
Account Manager: Grace Kayser
Senior Project Manager: Adam Gill
Project Manager: Cameron Malone
Project Manager: Julia Shovlin
Production
Production Company: Hungryman
Director: Bryan Buckley
Executive Producer: Matt Lefebvre
Editorial: Mackcut
Editor: Mike Leuis, Cam Pazol
Executive Producer: Gina Pagano
VFX/Finish: House of Parliament
VFX Supervisor: Eric Mason
Producer: Mike Cimino
Audio Mix: Lime Studios
Social Editorial: GSD&M
Social Editors: Weston Morgan, Alex Zakon
Social VFX/Finish: Jogger
