How 7 Brew’s Viral March Madness Promotion Acquired 1 Million Customers

ABOUT THIS ENTRY

Our campaign set out to transform March Madness excitement into sustained drive-thru traffic and revenue growth for a rapidly expanding QSR brand. By leveraging the tournament moment to drive immediate visits while introducing customers to the depth of 7 Brew’s bold flavor lineup, the brand built consistent traffic and long-term loyalty across its rapidly expanding network.

How does this represent "Excellence in Engagement"?

Flavor Madness sets a new benchmark for fan engagement that the sports industry can learn from and build upon. It demonstrates how tournament-style mechanics, daily refreshes, and instant rewards can sustain participation over time, not just during marquee moments. By driving 3 million plays and 125,000 high-frequency participants, the campaign mirrors the way fans check scores, brackets, and highlights daily, translating that behavior into consistent, measurable action.

This work redefines engagement beyond views or likes. Fans were active participants, returning repeatedly to discover something new, make choices, and feel rewarded in the moment. The daily flavor rotation functioned like a changing matchup or leaderboard, creating urgency and anticipation while reinforcing routine behavior.

For sports organizations, this establishes a clear blueprint: engagement should be ongoing, interactive, and embedded into fans’ existing habits. Flavor Madness shows how teams, leagues, and sponsors can turn season-long narratives into repeat touchpoints that drive loyalty, data capture, and revenue. It raises the bar by proving that well-designed gamification can convert fleeting excitement into sustained fan relationships that last beyond a single game, weekend, or tournament.

Objective

The objective of this campaign was to turn March Madness momentum into sustained drive-thru traffic and revenue growth for 7 Brew. Rather than relying on traditional awareness tactics, the brand set out to solve a more complex challenge: how to consistently bring customers back across 300+ locations while building real loyalty at scale.

This work was driven by a unique goal – to create a dynamic, tournament-themed experience that refreshed daily and gave customers a reason to return throughout the month, not just once. The campaign needed to generate immediate traffic, encourage repeat visits, highlight the depth of 7 Brew’s flavor portfolio to increase average ticket size, and deliver measurable ROI that franchisees could clearly see and support.

The campaign aimed to establish repeat visit behavior that would continue beyond March Madness, proving that innovative, habit-forming engagement could outlast a promotional window. By capturing insights into customer frequency and preferences, the brand sought to lay the foundation for future growth while transforming casual visitors into loyal regulars across the franchise system.

Strategy & Execution

7 Brew designed Flavor Madness with the modern sports fan in mind by turning everyday coffee runs into a habit-forming, tournament-style experience. Using our gamification platform, the month-long Scratch ’N Win activation rewarded daily participation while seamlessly fitting into customers’ existing routines.

Customers scanned QR codes on drive-thru signage to unlock instant win digital scratch cards. Prizes ranged from March Madness–themed merch and free drinks to a headline grand prize of a Ford Bronco Wildtrak. The real differentiator was the daily refresh. Each day featured a new 7 Brew flavor, blending instant gratification with product discovery and giving customers a reason to return again and again.

This “What’s today’s flavor?” dynamic created urgency and variety, mirroring how fans engage with March Madness content daily. The campaign came to life across physical locations, social channels, and mobile notifications, all while capturing first-party data on participation, flavor interest, and regional trends.

By launching during March Madness, 7 Brew tapped into an already engaged, routine-driven audience. The result was a low-friction, high-energy experience that delivered awareness, education, repeat visits, and loyalty through one cohesive, franchise-ready campaign.

Organizations

• WIT Contests
  7 Brew Coffee
  Integrity 9 Sports & Entertainment

Links

•   Website

Credits

Dustin Inness
Senior Associate
7 Brew Coffee

Emily Peterson
Account Manager
Integrity 9 Sports & Entertainment