US Ad of the Day: MLB knocks Opening Day out of the park with ‘Baseball is something else’
From the smell of freshly mowed grass to the sizzle of fresh hot dogs, Major League Baseball’s new campaign is meant to delight the senses of the sport’s passionate fanbase.
Today is Major League Baseball’s (MLB) Opening Day. To kick it off, the league has unveiled a brand campaign designed to remind crowds of the timeless joy of baseball games.
The campaign, called ‘Baseball is something else,’ launches today with three films across Fox, TBS and ESPN, social media channels, plus an out-of-home activation in NYC’s Times Square and a print ad in The New York Times.
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The hero spot feels like an ode to Opening Day. Set to an acapella version of The William Tell Overture, the commercial includes several moments and traditions any baseball devotee will recognize: collectively observing The Star-Spangled Banner, snack vendors meandering through rows of stadium seats and so on.
Meanwhile, ‘Hot dogs’ – another one of the new video ads – appeals to another integral part of the baseball experience: food. The spot unites old-school with modern pop culture as American actor Humphrey Bogart’s voice fades into 2Chainz’s hip-hop classic, I’m Different.
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The third spot, titled ‘It’s a numbers game,’ leans into the role that numbers have played throughout baseball’s history, from the numbers adorning players' jerseys to historic records that have been set throughout the decades. The spot implores fans to wonder: Which number will be significant in the future?
Creative agency Wieden+Kennedy Portland developed the new campaign. “Baseball is comfortable and nostalgic at one moment, and in the next, it can be unpredictable,” says Josh Bogdan, the agency's creative director. “As such, ‘Baseball is something else’ is a campaign that is grounded in the truth about the game. We didn’t need to invent new stuff to make this game or work interesting. There are so many storylines and lore and larger-than-life characters within baseball, and our job was to uncover these elements and uphold them for everyone to see.”
Credits
Agency: Wieden+Kennedy Portland
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