Coke Zero and POWERADE Take Center Court in NCAA March Madness®

ATLANTA, April 1, 2013 – Coca-Cola is ensuring college basketball fans experience a full court press of entertainment during the 2013 NCAA® Men’s Final Four® weekend. By merging the power of sports, music and entertainment, Coca-Cola will be hosting larger-than-life events for fans of all ages to experience during the NCAA® March Madness® celebrations –which is happening in the hometown of the Company’s global headquarters.   

Two of the Company’s most well-known brands will be at the tournament’s epicenter – Coke Zero and POWERADE.  From Bracket Town Refreshed by Coke Zero to the NCAA® Final Four Dribble Fueled by POWERADE, there are tons of opportunities to “Enjoy More Madness” courtesy of The Coca-Cola Company. 

“We’re thrilled the passion and energy of the NCAA® Men’s Final Four is coming to our hometown. It’s one of the most exciting times in all of college sports,” said Sharon Byers, senior vice president, entertainment and sports marketing, Coca-Cola North America Group. “It’s just as much about the family-fun, outdoor activities, music and entertainment experiences that surround the tournament as it is the games themselves. The Coca-Cola Company is committed to making Final Four weekend legendary for the city of Atlanta and all those who are here to join in the fun.”

Coca-Cola is the longest-standing Corporate Champion of the NCAA®.  Coke Zero is the official fan refreshment of the NCAA® and POWERADE is the official sports drink of the NCAA®.

Bracket Town™ Refreshed by Coke Zero (April 5 – 8) – Coke Zero presents this fan festival at the Georgia World Congress Center. A haven for sports fans of all ages, Bracket Town will offer a chance to meet legendary coaches and players, sign up for daily youth clinics and participate in many different sport activities. While you’re there, check out the Coke Freestyle Machine located at Coke Zero Court.  Bracket Town Refreshed by Coke Zero is open to the public beginning Friday, April 5, through Monday, April 8. Tickets are on-sale at the door and range from $6 (kids under 11) to $10 (adults 12+).

CONAN Live from the Tabernacle (April 1 – 4) – Along with Turner Broadcasting, Coca-Cola is putting a different spin on March Madness to unite hoops, music and comedy in a way that transforms the Final Four® into the ‘Funny Four.’ With Coke Zero as a presenting sponsor, TBS’s popular late-night series CONAN is heading to Atlanta for a week of hilarity and great music with Team Coco. Fans interested in attending the shows from April 1 – 4 can visit http://teamcoco.com/atlanta to enter an online drawing for tickets.

The Coke Zero Countdown Concert (April 6) – As part of The Big Dance Concert Series® produced by Turner Live Events and the NCAA®, The Coke Zero Countdown will feature award-winning, international band Muse as the headlining act at Centennial Olympic Park on Saturday, April 6 at noon. Alongside Muse, a number of musical sensations will take the stage including Macklemore and Ryan Lewis, Flo Rida and Atlanta’s own Ludacris. The concert, hosted by comedian Andy Richter, is free to the public and portions of the show will be live streaming on TeamCoco.com and BleacherReport.com.

POWERADE 3v3 Tournament (April 5 – 7) – Honing skills and promoting the importance of active living, POWERADE is hosting a collegiate 3-on-3 tournament series. The winning teams will advance to the championships at Bracket Town Refreshed by Coke Zero where they will bring their skills to the court in front of thousands during NCAA® Men’s Final Four® weekend. Players of any skill level ages 9+ can also join in the fun at Bracket Town Refreshed by Coke Zero. For more information visit: http://www.powerade3v3.com/index.php

NCAA® Final Four® Dribble Fueled by POWERADE (April 7) – Encouraging fun, healthy, active living for Atlanta’s youth, up to 3,000 Atlanta-area kids will join the NCAA® and POWERADE for the Final Four® Dribble.  As a part of the 75th Celebration of March Madness, kids and their families will parade through the heart of the NCAA® Men’s Final Four® events. The event will kick-off on Sunday, April 7, at 11:30 a.m. at the Georgia World Congress Center. The event is free, but requires pre-registration at www.ncaa.com/final-four.

POWERADE Youth Clinics (April 6) – The NCAA® Youth Clinics are a community outreach program that connects children, 3rd grade through 8th grade, with selected championships. On Saturday, April 6, in Atlanta, kids ages 8 – 14 will receive basketball clinic instruction from NCAA coaches and student-athletes while also getting tips on how to live active and healthy lifestyles. The event is free, but requires pre-registration at www.ncaa.com/final-four.

The World of Coke Honors the NCAA® - In March and April, Coca-Cola celebrates the 75th Celebration of the NCAA® men’s college basketball tournament with an exhibit commemorating the top moments, players and teams in the 75-year tournament history. This historical exhibit captures the best NCAA® college basketball student-athletes who have made their mark on the court during the Final Four®. Stop by any Publix store to pick up tickets for a discounted rate.

Black and Red All Over – Starting this week, Coca-Cola also will have a visible presence in many of Atlanta’s most famous landmarks and venues including Georgia Dome Marta Station, Centennial Olympic Park and Lenox Mall.  At Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, a special billboard has been erected to celebrate NCAA® March Madness®. Located at the arrivals gate near the airport train station, the billboard will welcome travelers to Atlanta through April 10. The artwork depicts the city skyline, including the Georgia Dome and Coca-Cola’s North America and World Headquarters, overlaid by an image of a basketball player soaring through air preparing to slam-dunk. KO NCAA 2013 Airport Wrap 60

The installation of Coca-Cola’s billboard is the first time in 17 years that the advertising space at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport arrivals gate has changed. The previous billboard welcomed the world to Atlanta for the 1996 Olympic Games

Fans also have the chance to “Buy, Get, Play” – “Buy” Coke Zero, “Get” NCAA® gear and “Play” the Coke Zero Bracket Challenge. Through My Coke Rewards codes, fans can redeem gear from their favorite school and receive a team in the 2013 Coke Zero Bracket Challenge. As the team wins, the fan wins, taking a shot at a final $100,000 grand prize.

POWERADE is launching the next iteration of the “POWER THROUGH” campaign and through their retail program empower underdog teams and galvanize their fans.  POWERADE will be rewarding fans with NCAA® gear, the chance to win a coaching session of a lifetime with an NCAA® legend as well as provide moms of young athletes with the tools to help their young lions “POWER THROUGH.”

More information on activities planned by the NCAA® and The Coca-Cola Company during the NCAA® Men’s Final Four® can be found at www.ncaa.com/final-four.

About The Coca-Cola Company

The Coca-Cola Company (NYSE: KO) is the world's largest beverage company, refreshing consumers with more than 500 sparkling and still brands.  Led by Coca-Cola, the world's most valuable brand, our Company's portfolio features 16 billion-dollar brands including Diet Coke, Fanta, Sprite, Coca-Cola Zero, vitaminwater, Powerade, Minute Maid, Simply, Georgia and Del Valle. Globally, we are the No. 1 provider of sparkling beverages, ready-to-drink coffees, and juices and juice drinks.  Through the world's largest beverage distribution system, consumers in more than 200 countries enjoy our beverages at a rate of more than 1.8 billion servings a day.  With an enduring commitment to building sustainable communities, our Company is focused on initiatives that reduce our environmental footprint, support active, healthy living, create a safe, inclusive work environment for our associates, and enhance the economic development of the communities where we operate.  Together with our bottling partners, we rank among the world's top 10 private employers with more than 700,000 system associates.  For more information, visit Coca-Cola Journey at www.coca-colacompany.com, follow us on Twitter at twitter.com/CocaColaCo or check out our blog, Coca-Cola Unbottled, at www.coca-colablog.com.

About the NCAA

The NCAA is a membership-led nonprofit association of colleges and universities committed to supporting academic and athletic opportunities for more than 400,000 student-athletes at more than 1,000 member colleges and universities. Each year, more than 54,000 student-athletes compete in NCAA championships in Divisions I, II and III sports. Visit www.ncaa.org and www.ncaa.com for more details about the Association, its goals and members and corporate partnerships that help support programs for student-athletes.  The NCAA is proud to have the following elite companies as official Corporate Champions—AT&T, Capital One and Coca-Cola—and the following elite companies as official Corporate Partners—Allstate, Buffalo Wild Wings, Buick, Enterprise, Infiniti, LG, Lowe’s, Nabisco, Northwestern Mutual, Reese’s (Hershey’s), Unilever and UPS.

NCAA, Final Four, Bracket Town, The Big Dance, March Madness and Enjoy More Madness are trademarks of the National Collegiate Athletic Association.

###