Spike, Sam and Chuck Witness Basketball's Birth for Capital One

And enjoy a big scoop of Ice Kareem

Spike Lee, Samuel L. Jackson and Charles Barkley are knee deep in the hoopla as they travel back in time to the very first basketball game.

Sam thinks the pastime needs a new name, and Chuck breaks the last wooden peach basket on court in the 15th edition of Capital One’s beloved March Madness campaign.

Actually, we prefer “hoopla.” It vividly captures the frantic energy and non-stop hype around the NCAA tourney.

Next, a sky-high battle of the Barkley vs. Magic Johnson blimps, with Chuck absorbing some epic shade:

Back on the ground, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar drives an Ice Kareem truck offering “slam chunk” and “March-mallow” and more wordplay wonders:

“Rookie dough.” That’s where it’s at in the NIL era.

And speaking of cash, the final installment deposits bank shots:

Note The Six Million Dollar Man sound effect at the crucial :20 mark. Yes!

As ever, Lee directed the segments, with creative development from GSD&M.

“Our goal is always to push the boundaries, enhancing the way people experience the brand—making sure every campaign not only captures attention but also deepens the connection fans have with the March Madness moments they look forward to every year,” says agency GCD Ryan Carroll.

At this point, the guys enjoy such an easy, effortless camaraderie. It goes down so smooth. Like that bank guy’s jumper. Or a big bowl of “bracketberry” with “tourna-mint chocolate chips” on top.

“This campaign always creates the most ridiculous discussions and debates among the creative team as well as the clients,” Carroll tells Muse. “What style of mustache should Will Forte have (as basketball inventor James Naismith?) Do we need mustache prosthetics? Should Magic’s blimp be smiling? Should he be called a Captain or a General?”

Naturally, though, the ice cream flavors sparked the most debate.

“Our writer Phil Davies and his partner Matthew Barker probably wrote about 60 different flavors that we ranked until we landed on our favorite 16—some of which will make an appearance during the Final Four,” he says. “I’m just hoping Matt and Phil don’t get poached by Ben and Jerry’s.”

I’m banking on it. They’re the top seeds in my “peanut butter bracket.”

TV, social, digital, arena OOH, on-site activations (crafted with Warner Bros. Discovery Live) and creator collabs play into the mix.