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ACC Unveils New Brand Campaign, “Receipts,” Showcasing the Collective Strength of the ACC

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (theACC.com) – The Atlantic Coast Conference has launched “Receipts,” its new brand campaign for the 2026-27 academic year, celebrating the passion fans have for their individual schools while showcasing the collective strength of the ACC’s 18 member institutions.
 
Developed in partnership with ONA Creative, the ACC’s new creative strategy embraces a defining truth - fans cheer for their school first, but the passion surrounding all 18 institutions fuels the collective strength of the conference.
 
“We are thrilled to unveil a new creative direction for the ACC throughout the 2026-27 academic year,” said ACC Commissioner Jim Phillips, Ph.D. “The ACC has an incredible history of achievement, and this campaign celebrates that legacy while showcasing the tremendous opportunities ahead for our more than 12,200 student-athletes across our 18 member institutions. We appreciate the creativity and collaboration of our partners at ONA in bringing this campaign to life.”
 
The campaign’s debut spot, “Receipts,” introduces Mr. and Mrs. ACC – proud fans of every school in the league. Their home brings together the colors, traditions, memorabilia and history of all 18 institutions, celebrating the distinct identities that make the ACC stronger together. Fans will also spot each of the school bobbleheads that provide a deliberate connection to last year’s “ACC Icons” campaign.
 
The second spot, “Game Day,” launches this weekend and brings that same collective energy to ACC Football, showcasing the passion, pageantry and traditions that make Saturdays across the conference so distinctive.
 
At the heart of each spot is the “Receipt Book,” a powerful record of the ACC’s tradition of excellence across 28 sports – with plenty of room remaining for the next generation to add its own chapters of greatness.
 
“College sports fandom begins with an unwavering passion for your school, and we believe that is something to celebrate, not compete against,” said Marques E. Zak, ACC Chief Marketing & Brand Officer. “Through ‘Receipts,’ we are harnessing the individual identities, traditions and achievements of our 18 institutions to tell a more powerful collective story about the ACC. The launch of this campaign represents the direction we’re taking the ACC brand - honoring the incredible history of the ACC while finding fresh, culturally relevant and unexpected ways to connect with the next generation of fans.”
 
“Every ACC fan has a point of view, a story and, usually, more than a few receipts to prove it,” said Ron Holden Jr., Creative Director at ONA Creative. “Working with the ACC, we saw an opportunity to turn the history, traditions and rivalries of these 18 institutions into something fans could see themselves in – bringing the conference’s incredible history to life in a way that feels personal, current, and entertaining. ‘Receipts’ celebrates everything that makes every school different while showing what they also create together. The result is a campaign built for everyone – from ultimate fans like Mr. and Mrs. ACC carrying a lifetime of receipts, to the next generation ready to add their own for years to come.”
 
Mr. and Mrs. ACC are designed to extend well beyond a single commercial. The duo will serve as recurring characters throughout the academic year, with additional characters joining them as the campaign evolves. Together, they will provide new opportunities to celebrate the traditions, rivalries, personalities and experiences that define ACC fandom across sports and key moments.
 
With a focus on celebrating the ACC’s past with more than 200 team national championships and 500 individual national championships, the campaign will also continue to intentionally look ahead to the current and future eras of collegiate athletics.
 
Five additional spots are planned during the 2026-27 academic year, expanding the campaign throughout the conference’s sports calendar. New creative will debut at purposeful moments - later in the football season, surrounding men’s and women’s basketball, the ACC’s winter and spring sports seasons - continuing to celebrate the breadth, traditions and collective strength of the conference’s 18 member institutions.
 
GREATNESS HAS AN ADDRESS
 
In addition to the new creative campaign, the ACC is also launching “Greatness Has an Address,” a conference-wide initiative that will provide school-specific yard signs to the families of the ACC’s more than 12,200 student-athletes across the country.
 
The initiative celebrates not only the student-athletes competing across the conference, but also the families and communities that helped shape their journeys. Displayed at homes throughout the ACC’s national footprint, each sign will serve as a visible expression of school pride and a reminder that greatness can begin anywhere.
 
Like “Receipts,” “Greatness Has an Address” starts with the power of school identity, recognizing that the collective strength of the ACC begins with the pride people have in the institutions they call their own.
 
The conference is also exploring opportunities to make “Greatness Has an Address” signs available to fans and alumni in the future, extending that expression of pride to the broader ACC community.
 
For additional information on this year’s brand campaign and other ACC initiatives, visit theACC.com and follow @theACC on social media.
 
About the Atlantic Coast Conference
The ACC, in its 74th year and 18 members strong, stands as one of the most competitive and revered intercollegiate conferences in the nation. ACC members including Boston College, Cal, Clemson, Duke, Florida State, Georgia Tech, Louisville, Miami, North Carolina, NC State, Notre Dame, Pitt, SMU, Stanford, Syracuse, Virginia, Virginia Tech, and Wake Forest are dedicated to upholding the league's founding values of academic excellence, athletic competition at the highest level, and integrity. The ACC supports 28 NCAA sports, with 15 for women and 13 for men, and its member institutions span 12 states. In August 2019, the ACC and ESPN partnered to launch ACC Network (ACCN), a 24/7 national network exclusively devoted to ACC sports and original programming. For more information, visit theACC.com and follow the ACC on Instagram (@accsports), Twitter (@theACC) and Facebook (facebook.com/theACC).
 
About ONA Creative
ONA Creative is an independent full-service creative agency and production house specializing in brand building at the intersection of sports, culture, and community. The agency brings a deep understanding of how to honor legacy while pushing brands forward, creating work that is culturally relevant, creatively distinctive, and built to endure. For the ACC, ONA developed “Receipts” as a yearlong platform celebrating the distinct identities, traditions, and achievements of all 18 member institutions. The campaign is designed to evolve across the ACC’s 28 sports and throughout the academic year, connecting the conference’s history with the stories (and receipts) still to come (onacreative.com).