Broken Marketing by Anvara - Week 11

Welcome to Broken Marketing

Welcome to the 11th weekly edition of Broken Marketing by Anvara, where we discuss marketing that breaks.

For those of you that are new here, we’re Nick and Andrei, the co-founders of Anvara. We’ve included you here because one way or another we’re connected. We’re happy to have you a part of the Anvara family. 

Energy Drink C4 is Sponsoring “Bracket Breaker” March Madness Athletes

America’s #1 pre-workout brand is leaning heavily into sports marketing this spring. As part of their “Made For Athletes. Certified for Sport®” campaign, C4 will sponsor a standout player from each team in March Madness—including an SEC Player of the Year. That’s 128 players between the Men and Women’s tournaments. It guarantees C4 a spot in the NCAA finals which racked up 35 million views last year. 

NIL is the big opportunity in athlete sponsorships right now, with thousands of college athletes now available for brand promotion. College sports are a cheaper way for brands to get sports exposure, hence why C4 could partner with 128 of them. 

By sponsoring the players, C4 hopes to highlight their recent NSF certification as an athlete-safe product. And the new NIL deal means athletes will be capitalizing on their sponsorships. So C4 will be across the social media accounts of players with millions of followers.

C4’s move capitalizes on the NIL gold rush - and there’s plenty of opportunity left for brands in this market. Built on energy, March Madness fits C4’s identity, and by telling their players “we bet on you,” C4 tells a story. 

March Madness is a story of winners, the losers, and most importantly, the underdogs. So who cares that Red Bull gives you wings when C4 gives you belief. That is the kind of emotion that sells a brand. People want to be a part of a message greater than themselves. And when a brand can represent that, everyone wants a piece.

SXSW 2025: The Brands That Took Over Austin

SXSW turned Austin into an immersive brand playground once again. The 9-day tech, film, and music festival has over 300,000+ attendees—and brands fought hard for their attention. From Whataburger’s fan-fueled art museum to Criterion’s movie closet on wheels, brand activations created experiences that got people talking. Here’s who won SXSW this year:

Criterion’s Mobile Film Closet

While some brands spent millions, Criterion just bought a van. If you didn’t know, Criterion is a home-video distribution company that focuses on licensing, restoring and distributing classic and contemporary films. Featured on Criterion’s celebrity series “Closet Picks,” the van is filled with cult classic DVDs people can select, and SXSW was the perfect stop. Fans lined up hours before opening for a chance to select movies and take videos in the mobile closet—which gained over a million impressions online. Criterion proved that understanding your audience beats a big budget - like David and Goliath.

Whataburger’s Museum of Art

Texas-founded Whataburger was at home with a surprising activation. The brand brought its Whataburger Museum of Art (@theWMOA) fan artwork to life. The gallery featured over 200 Whataburger inspired paintings, sculptures, and interactive installations. The activation displayed more than just art—it showed how Whataburger celebrates the people that keep its brand running. Reminder to engage your customer.

FX’s Alien: Earth

FX didn’t just promote its new horror series Alien: Earth, they had fans living it. Their activation put visitors in a lab filled with actors in hazmat suits, flashing lights, and alien specimens. It made for a must-share experience better than any other skippable ad. What makes you want to watch something more than getting a taste of the action first hand?

—

SXSW veteran Greg Swan said it best:
“If someone goes to a brand activation and doesn’t share it, did they even attend? Nope.”

Think about the last time you shared a digital ad. Possibly never. What you will tell your friends about is your FX Alien experience or the crazy Whataburger museum. That’s the magic of real-world marketing. It gives brands an opportunity to make people feel something. And that’s the kind of marketing that breaks.

This week’s news

Here’s a brief update on marketing news from this week:

• Southwest’s Trash is Another Brand’s Treasure. Southwest Airlines just removed their long-standing free checked bag policy, and it led to significant backlash online. While customers complained, brands took advantage of Southwest’s bad PR moment. Aldi poked fun at Southwest charging people to use their own baggage to promote their no-charge BYOB policy, and Amtrak remarked that their free-baggage policy is the last one standing. Like Durex last week, quick marketing teams can capitalize on trends to speak directly to customers without costly ads. 

• March Madness Ads Are Selling Out Faster Than Ever. March Madness is heating up on and off the court. As the live sports ad market continues to grow, the NCAA tournament has seen record highs in spend. NIL deals have given brands accessibility to player sponsorships. Stadium signage is nearly sold out and a 30-second championship game ad on CBS costs $2 million (Super Bowl is $8 million for 30 seconds). As college basketball’s popularity surges, ad slots will only get more competitive.

• Poppi Soda Sells for $1.95 Billion to PepsiCo. PepsiCo acquired the prebiotic soda brand for $1.95 billion following Coca Cola’s launch of their own prebiotic brand, Simply Pop. Started in Stephen and Allison Ellsworth’s home in 2018, Poppi grew rapidly after going on Shark Tank and taking over TikTok. Poppi now has the leading position in the U.S. market at 19%. The prebiotic drink market is expected to be worth over $2 billion by 2029, so Poppi’s brand really demanded a premium!

• Cash App Bets Big on Banking. Cash App is making its biggest marketing push yet with Cash In, a nationwide campaign spotlighting its expanding banking features. Directed by Ramy Youssef (Ramy, The Bear), the ads blend humor and everyday money moments, featuring TikTok creator Leo Gonzales. The campaign highlights Cash App’s debit card, overdraft protection, and Afterpay installment payments, showing how users can seamlessly save, invest, and split paychecks—all within one app. With massive out-of-home ads in NYC and Miami and a heavy digital push, Cash In positions Cash App as the go-to banking alternative for Gen Z and beyond.

That’s all for this week. Happy Wednesday and remember, fortune favors the brave.

What’s Anvara?

Anvara is a first-of-its-kind platform that connects brands with premium real-world advertising opportunities like live event sponsorship, sports marketing, and guerilla marketing. With a focus on innovation, AI, and advanced measurement, Anvara makes it easier for brands to create memorable real-world experiences and measure their ROI. For more information, visit https://www.anvara.com/.

Quote of the week

“Learn from yesterday, live for today, hope for tomorrow.” - Albert Einstein