For a record fourth time, Tampa, FL, hosted the NCAA Women’s Final Four basketball tournament, and fans turned out, hitting the bay from April 3-6 to support their teams and enjoy all of the sporting events and brand activations that led into the big game at Amalie Arena, where UConn clinched the 2025 national title against South Carolina.
It was a jam-packed weekend. When we arrived, Super Saturday Practice presented by Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra was about to tip-off, along with Party in the Plaza presented by Buick. There was no mistaking that the Final Four had taken over the city. Basketballs could be heard bouncing down almost every street and alleyway along the Tampa Riverwalk, as fans had made their way over from the Women’s Final Four Bounce presented by Buick. More than 3,000 kids, outfitted in event branded-tees, participated in the dribbling parade through downtown Tampa that ended at the convention center, home of Tourney Town presented by Capital One, the official fan festival of the Women’s Final Four.
The UConn marching band and cheerleaders greeted us at the entrance, and mascot Jonathan the Husky hyped fans up and posed for photos as they made their way in. Once attendees filled out the required Tourney Town waivers, they were gifted Women’s Final Four fanny packs, which came in handy for collecting swag and prizes around the show floor, mostly earned through shooting baskets at sponsors’ booths. Brands put their own spin on the basketball theme, and fans responded, waiting in long lines for their shot at the various games and activations on offer. Here, we explore 12 booths that got us in the Final Four spirit.
Capital One
Along the ultimate Final Four Road Trip that wove its way around the entrance of Tourney Town, presenting sponsor Capital One set up several stops for attendees to engage with the brand and fan-favorite WNBA and NBA stars. Fans could follow the road and pull over for a photo with the NCAA Women’s Championship Trophy and basketball legends who appeared throughout the weekend. The Ice Kareem Truck offered scoops of Cookies ‘N’ Kareem, Tourna-Mint Chocolate Chip, Bracket Berry and Neo-ball-itan ice cream flavors.
Lastly, the “Battle of the Blimps” game drew a long line of fans ready to go head-to-head to make shots that would propel their digital blimp—in the form of Charles Barkley or Magic Johnson—across the finish line. As no road trip is complete without souvenirs, Capital One rewarded fans with prizes during their journey. Plus, Capital One cardholders got the added perk of a priority line to enter Tourney Town and a discount off Women’s Final Four merch.
GEICO
While free-throw challenges were all around the convention center, GEICO got creative with one of our favorite activations, GEICO Garage. Rather than setting up a traditional basketball court, the brand created hoops out of ordinary household items like bike baskets, garbage cans and laundry bins and stationed them in two rows down each side of the garage around an inflatable GEICO-branded vehicle.
Two at a time, participants had 30 seconds to make five baskets with foamy basketballs within arm’s reach. Also available was the Accident Forgiveness Button that once pressed, added two seconds to the clock. The catch was that they had to score to move on to the next hoop and were awarded points for each one. The total dictated the prize they received at the end: a GEICO Gecko plush, a branded towel or, the most coveted, a reversible bucket hat that featured a print of the Gecko holding a basketball, which we proudly added to our collection. (Agency: Momentum Worldwide)
Unilever
Confidence was the name of the game at Unilever’s booth. The Official Personal Care Partner of NCAA Women’s Final Four showcased its personal care products from Degree, Dove and SheaMoisture in a multistep experience that helped fans “get Tunnel Fresh.” First, attendees stepped in front of a display of three branded mirrors emblazoned with encouraging messages such as “Show that glow” and #KeepHerConfident. There, they could spray, sniff and sample deodorants and lotions. After choosing their care, they assembled their “fresh fit” at an installation of lockers filled with bucket hats, large handbags and warm-up jackets.
Once outfitted, they moved to the main event, the Confidence Tunnel. A camera operator recorded fans’ struts through the illuminated tunnel, where they hit their mark and struck a pose. The “Stay Fresh. Stay Confident.” branded video was instantly available to download from tablets at the end of the tunnel, where participants also encountered a swag station offering personal care product samples and scrunchies.
ESPN
The ESPN Boardwalk took fans back to the ’90s, “where bold colors, big energy and airbrushed style ruled the scene.” Graffiti artwork of the Final Four teams, a display of retro TVs and an ESPN-branded boombox fueled the booth’s nostalgia vibes, not to mention the music. “Gangsta’s Paradise” was blasting when we came upon the activation. There was a long, wrapping line to get in—so long that brand ambassadors tried to appease fans by passing out posters of the ESPN original series “Full Court Press.”
Upon entering, attendees were met with a gumball machine. The color of the gumball they received determined their prize, and with a majority of them being green, most fans came away with a tropically designed towel. While it was a cool commemorative item, attendees were disappointed that only a select few won a t-shirt, tank or hat customized by one of two airbrush artists in the booth. Winners got to choose a basketball-themed icon for the design, as well as a font style and color scheme.
Coca-Cola
Coca-Cola won Women’s Final Four fans over with its Coke Zero Sugar samples that saw many return visits, but inside the booth, the brand put a spin on fight songs by giving attendees the chance to compete for their teams on a giant interactive soundboard where they leveled up through phases of singing, high-fiving, dancing, dribbling and shooting baskets to win—think: a way more complex DDR setup. A dj stationed nearby provided commentary for all the “Play the Fight Song” action. A bonus as we made our way out of the convention center, street teams around the city were handing out mini cans of Coke Zero to hydrate fans on a blazing hot day. (Agency: Momentum Worldwide)
Powerade
Next door, Powerade, a brand of The Coca-Cola Company, featured a footprint with several basketball drill stations for dribbling, shooting and, the biggest draw, dunking a basket. Few were successful in actually getting the ball through the hoop, but the foam pit below gave them the courage to make the leap to earn a Powerade water bottle or towel. (Agency: Momentum Worldwide)
Degree
Degree, the Official Deodorant of the Final Four, outlined five “Steps to Victory” for fans who stepped on its ombré court: Weave through picks (waist-high poles lined up on the floor), catch the inbound pass, dribble through traffic (standing cutouts of women basketball players), rise above defense, and make the last-second shot. Everyone who participated could pick up Degree Whole Body Deodorant samples and branded shooter sleeves, and take photos in front of a “Head 2 Toe” installation. The booth also featured a wall of colorful lockers and an area with tall walls where attendees could spray deodorant on themselves without unintentionally spritzing passersby.
RISE
RISE is a national nonprofit that educates and empowers the sports community to eliminate racial discrimination, champion social justice and improve race relations, and it brought the Champions of Change experience to the show floor. The RISE Road to Progress digital timeline taught attendees about the intersection of sports and social justice, and the Walk in Their Shoes virtual locker room played star athletes’ and sports leaders’ firsthand accounts of the role race has played in their lives. The Champions of Change Challenge tested fans’ knowledge of social justice and sports moments through an interactive memory-style game, where they aimed basketballs at a large screen to flip over digital cards.
Invesco QQQ
The March Madness Innovation Experience by Invesco QQQ, the Official ETF of the NCAA, was the most immersive digital activation in the convention center. AI, AR, motion tracking and cloud computing powered the activation inside a three-walled booth that made attendees feel like they were actually shooting baskets on a college basketball court. Participants kept their cool as they were surrounded by lights, cheering fans holding up big head signs of the participant’s face and cheerleaders waving their poms—all of which reacted in real time to the IRL action on the court. Former WNBA player Candace Parker even materialized onscreen to share coaching tips. (Agency: 160over90)
The Home Depot
Shaquille O’Neal himself waved us over to visit The Home Depot booth—well, a hologram-in-a-box version of him. The Tool Shaq brought together several DIY activities with a March Madness twist, starting with the “How to Seed a Bracket” centerpiece display illuminated with neon lights. Families enjoyed the “How to Work the Paint presented by BEHR” station, where they could paint a commemorative magnet and scan their designs to see them “painted” live onscreen.
In Sabrina’s Court Yard, named after WNBA champion Sabrina Ionescu, “How to Spread the Floor presented by Scotts” challenged fans to take as many shots as possible from various points on the court over 30 seconds. An oversized Scotts seed spreader rebounded the basketballs back to players, who won “Phil the Bucket” hats, arm sleeves and Home Depot gift cards depending on points scored. Fans could also play the garden-themed “Shaq-A-Mole,” and cutouts of Shaq were all around the space to watch their progress—one surprised us coming out of the bushes like that classic Homer Simpson meme. (Agency: Octagon)
AT&T
AT&T gave new meaning to “Hoop Dreams” with its blue-splashed activation that inspired fans to build their own basketball court. On a tablet, attendees could choose from a variety of environments like Slam Dunk Dunes, Breakaway Beach, Cinderella Story or Fast Break Forest, and then they waited their turn to play on their custom-designed court brought to life by giant, interactive floor and wall screens. For every basket made, AT&T donated $10 to Boys & Girls Clubs of Tampa Bay and Human-I-T. A cell phone charging locker station next to a lounge in the AT&T booth gave our phone some much-needed juice, while we watched attendees shoot their shot on their dream courts. (Agency: Wasserman)
Nissan
The Nissan 4-Point Shootout invited attendees to see how their skills stacked up against their favorite athletes and creators. Fans got competitive on the leaderboard, as a trip to next year’s Final Four was on the line.
