Major League Baseball (MLB) leveraged its 2019 postseason by launching a cross-generational campaign called ‘We Play Loud’ which explores how the game has progressed through the years.
The multi-media initiative aired globally under #WePlayLoud and #JugamosDuro and spans television, digital, social media, OOH and in-stadium work (plus a range of official merchandising).
we photoshoot loud #WorldSeries #WePlayLoud @mlb pic.twitter.com/pINxYKWbVe
— Kathryn Buckles (@K_Bucks) October 21, 2019
The campaign is spearheaded by a hero commercial which inserts colour shots of today’s baseball super stars into historical old black-and-white footage of postseason ballgames.
The creative features a strong line up of current players – Aaron Judge (New York Yankees), Jack Flaherty (St Louis Cardinals), Ronald Acuña Jr (Atlanta Braves), Cody Bellinger (Los Angeles Dodgers) and Alex Bregman (Houston Astros) – all of whom are playing for teams which made the playoffs.
The 2019 postseason campaign’s lead 45-second commercial, which debuted on ESPN during the Brewers vs Nationals NL Wild Card Game, also comes in 30- and 15-second cut downs.
The TV placement also included ESPN, ESPN Deportes, MLB Network, TBS, CNN Español, Fox, FS1 and FOX Deportes.
The creative includes the copy: “During the post-season, everything is bigger. Every pitch, every swing, every moment means more.”
The campaign also features bilingual content: there is a Spanish-language edition called ‘Jugamos Duro’.
“’We Play Loud’ is a nod to the exciting young players that bring intensity to our game every day but then turn it up when everything is on the line in October,” said the MLB PR statement accompanying the campaign launch.
“Their power and impact can be heard, seen and felt. Their excitement and passion have changed the game, and this campaign is a celebration of that.”
Comment:
This postseason promotion contrasts the excitement of today’s game with years past and is part of the league’s current strategy of engaging a new generation of fans and follows other recent campaigns which shine the spotlight on fresh, contemporary aspects of the game and on its new, young generation of stars.
Too often MLB and baseball broadcast creative has fallen back on traditional values, nostalgia and references to the golden era of America’s game, but 2019 has seen a concerted creative effort to shine the spot light on youth and the vibrant present.
Creative focused on a new generation f young stars who play the game their own way and aren’t motivated by the past, or anchored by the game’s unwritten rules, but relish the bat flipping celebrations and in-your-face attitudes which tend to upset the traditionalists.
This approach was introduced in April 2019 through the MLB’s ‘Let The Kids Play’ campaign (see case study) and a trio of player focused commercials released during the All-Star break.
Perhaps this campaign will make a few old-school fans and baseball traditionalists uncomfortable. But they will need to adjust as the sport needs to refresh its image, appeal and its fan base.
MLB’s supporter base has traditionally skewed older and engaging younger fans is vital for the long term health of the game.
After all, according to Nielsen, the average age of a baseball viewer is 53, compared with 47 for the NFL and 37 for the NBA.
Plus, MLB total attendance for the 2019 regular season was 68,494,752: with an average of 28,198 per game.
These are the lowest figures since 2003 (total 67,630,052 / average 27,831) and down 12 million from the 2007 all-time high (total 79,484,718 / average 32,696).
Links:
MLB
http://mlb.mlb.com/mobile/atbat
http://mlb.mlb.com/mobile/attheballpark
Leave a comment
You must be logged in to post a comment.