Duke Cannon Hits the Showers for March Madness

Achieves a '70s beer-commercial aesthetic

Septic technician or college hoops mascot. They’re both dirty, sweaty jobs. One involves excrement. Maybe they both do, sometimes.

You’ll need a righteous body wash and deodorant to feel clean and refreshed after such a rough day’s work.

Men’s grooming brand Duke Cannon is so there for you, as we learn in a weirdly retro campaign Quality Meats.

That dude shows such professional pride. But so does our next dirty bird, none other than the Iowa State Cardinal, in this March Madness tie-in:

A Duke collab would’ve been too on the nose. But, why the fuzzy-screen low-fi approach?

“The brand feels like it has pretty blunt and classic, no-bullshit, utilitarian vibes,” explains Quality Meats creative chief Gordy Sang. “Almost feels like it’s from another era. Even the name ‘Duke Cannon’ and their simple and clean packaging kind of trigger that tone.”

“So, it made us think of some of the classic beer/male-focused commercials of the ’70s and ’80s. We thought we’d lean hard into that genre. Plus, the effects and sounds trigger a nostalgia that makes us feel warm inside.”

Yeah, never thought I’d feel wistful for Ronald Reagan in the White House. But here we are.

As for the ads, well, nostalgia usually sells. And even if viewers can’t recall the glory days of disco balls and analog reception, the spots rock a distinctive look and feel that could break through.

Brand CMO Oliver Perez adds: “We wanted these to feel like relics—not parodies, but authentically from another time. A time where people wanted a straightforward, hard-working product, and appreciated advertising that delivered the message in the same way. But obviously done with a modern, tongue-in-cheek twist.”

The work drops this week across TV, digital media and OOH, with IRL activations in the mix.