ESPN trots out Yankees slugger Aaron Judge for humorous station promos
Just in time for opening day for Major League Baseball, ESPN has introduced its latest spots from the iconic ‘This is SportsCenter’ franchise, featuring a deadpan walk on by Aaron Judge of the Yankees.
Aaron Judge in ESPN promo
‘All Rise’ and ‘Home Run Trot’ feature New York Yankees All-Star outfielder, Rookie of the Year and Home Run Derby winner Judge, paying tribute to his authoritative name and legion of followers, as well as his home run prowess.
‘Home Run Trot,’ which also stars ESPN anchors Elle Duncan and Scott Van Pelt, premiered in the late-night edition of SportsCenter with Scott Van Pelt. The two anchors are seen running on treadmills at the gym when Judge, in full pinstriped uniform, walks in, gets on another treadmill, and lightly jogs for a few seconds. He then stops, gets off, points to the sky with his bat and walks away, high-fiving a mascot on a treadmill on his way out. We see the digital display of Judge’s treadmill stating his brief workout: “Home Run Trot”.
Duncan will introduce ‘All Rise’ as part of the Thursday edition of SportsCenter on Snapchat – which is produced specifically for the platform. The spot has Van Pelt saying how Judge takes his name a bit too literally. We then see a toupeed bailiff asking a meeting table full of people to rise as Judge walks in, placing his bat down on the table like a gavel.
“This is SportsCenter has always featured today’s most interesting athletes and pop culture personalities, and Judge certainly fits that bill. Between his stellar rookie season and his natural charisma, he’s a perfect fit for this moment in time,” said Wanda Young, ESPN senior vice president of marketing and consumer engagement. “While the general conceit of the campaign hasn’t changed, utilizing new platforms to get it out to our fans is an exciting shift in our approach. TISC holds a special place in fans’ hearts and we’re looking forward to treating them to several new spots in the months ahead.”
ESPN’s internal agency CreativeWorks wrote the spots in house and worked with Hungry Man on the production, a first in the campaign’s more than 20-year history.
Since 1995, This is SportsCenter has given fans and viewers an inside peek at the Bristol campus with a humorous spin on day-to-day life at ESPN. The network has produced more than 400 spots as part of this franchise.
To view both spots, click on the Creative Works box below.
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