What does a piercing brand have in common with basketball players? An unwavering desire to sparkle – and that’s just what happened at the National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA) Final Four Men’s College Basketball Championship in Arizona.

Piercing specialist, Studex USA, was invited to the championship in Glendale to join long-term piercing partner, Banter by Piercing Pagoda. The four-day event, 5-8 April 2024, was held in The Westgate Entertainment Centre, where the Super Bowl was hosted in 2023, and welcomed thousands of college basketball fans.

Studex and Banter created a locker room-themed installation as a photo backdrop to an entertainment and piercing area, and fans were invited to ‘shoot their shot’ to win a free ear piercing, as well as take part in other interactive engagement areas. Digital billboards overlooked the Westgate Waterdance Plaza, featuring basketballs bouncing from screen to screen and diamonds falling from the top with Studex’s tagline: Piercing You Can Trust.

During the event, Studex and Banter certified professional piercers and pierced hundreds of fans using System 75: a hand pressured, FDA medical approved device. Each visitor was given a bottle of Studex Advanced aftercare and supplied with advice and tips to look after their new piercings. The Advanced lotion speeds up the healing process as well as protecting the piercing site, soothing and reducing the risk of inflammation.

For more information about training with Studex to become a professional piercer, visit www.studexuk.com