• by Steve McClellan  @mp_mcclellan, March 16, 2017

Minneapolis-based ad agency Periscope has launched a new Great Clips campaign—“Back To Greatness”—designed to illustrate how men can get their swagger back after a great haircut. 

The zany new spots show men with shaggy, overgrown hair transform into the best if somewhat over-exaggerated versions of themselves. 

One of the new ads opens with a glassy-eyed and slovenly looking young man seated in a salon chair ready for a long-overdue haircut. As his hair begins to transform into a shorter neater style (magically, as there is no haircutter in sight) a voiceover intones, “When my hair gets too long I lose my edge. But when my cut’s right, I’m right.” 

“I’m back to being me,” the voiceover continues. My dimples activate. My cleft becomes clefty-er.” And through the magic of digital video, the man suddenly develops dimples and a deep cleft in his chin. 

Through that same magic he also gets a “twinkle” on his tooth. And he is suddenly able to speak fluent French (if your idea of fluency in the language is “gar-BAHGE,” and “chaise lounge.”) 

With haircut done, a salon stylist removes the man’s cutting cape to reveal him seated on a Vespa-type moped, with a rakish looking scarf around his neck and ready to take on the world anew. “Au Revoir,” he says in poorly-pronounced French. 

The spot ends with another voiceover stating, “Get in, get out. Back to greatness,” and then adding a call to action to download the online check-in app. 

TV Spots will air during the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament from today through March 24. The hair-styling chain is also sponsoring one of the competitions during the 2017 College Slam Dunk and 3-Point Championship, which airs on ESPN March 30.  In addition to TV ads there will be branding on court during the Men’s 3-Point Championship portion of the event. 

The basketball placements are designed to connect to the notion of confidence that one seems to gain with a new haircut, on and off the court, whether you’re competing or rooting your team on. 

“The sports tie-in is a great fit for us,” said Ann Latendresse, Director of Marketing at Great Clips. “The idea behind this omnichannel marketing strategy plays up the fact that, while their team may win or lose, fans will feel like a winner with the confidence they get from a fresh haircut at Great Clips. How this idea comes to life makes for fun story lines.” 

The campaign also includes digital media buys, radio spots and an influencer program. Agency and brand are also preparing some additional specific Tournament tie-ins, including a bracket with SB Nation. During the college football playoff season the brand activated a social effort where people could show off “super fan hair.” Periscope also created sports-related gifs and slo-mo Snapchat ads. 

“We brought the feeling of greatness to the next level with some over-the-top abilities that may or may not be grounded in reality,” notes Rob Peichel, Creative Group Director at Periscope. “It makes for some fun, engaging spots and a lot of freedom with our social execution and engagement.”