Emirates Reworks Benfica Spoof Safety Stunt For New LA Dodgers Alliance

Emirates airlines cabin crew stole the show at the opening of the Los Angeles Dodgers vs Cincinnati Reds with a spoof safety stunt on the field that included the game’s first-pitch.

The initiative was a straightforward reworking of its 2015 stunt launching its sponsorship of Lisbon’s SL Benfica in Portugal.

The matching actions and commentary were simply re-jigged for baseball nomenclature.

The stunt took place on 23 May to pormote the airline’s new non-stop flights between LA and Dubai, but the partnership itself was first unveiled in February.

The sponsorship sees Emirates become the official airline sponsor of the Dodgers and it will see some partnership-relevant changes at Dodger Stadium for the 2016 season.

This will range from Emirates signage on the foul poles and behind home plate, a set of in-game activations, ceremonial first pitches and fan-appreciation activities, plus a title sponsorship of the ‘Emirates Lounge’ (a 70-person hospitality space for Emirates and guests).

A number of Emirates airplanes will also be adding Dodgers signage to the exterior of the aircraft.

While there are no current plans for the Dodgers to play exhibitions in Dubai, the deal sees a group of LA Dodgers stars (led by slugging first baseman Adrian Gonzalez visiting Emirates’ Dubai headquarters to run a baseball clinic for local Little League teams.

The Dodgers organisation will also become involved with Little League. Indeed, the Dodgers are now sponsoring the Dubai Little League All Star Travel Teams – which will be renamed the Dubai Dodgers.

‘We have always been in search of an iconic U.S. sports entity, one that has reached not just the United States, but other parts of our network,’ explains Emirates Airline president Sir Tim Clark – referencing the Dodgers’ growing popularity in Asia, Latin America and the Middle East.

‘Taken together, the Dodgers were the perfect fit for us. We’re honoured and very proud to have our brand associated with such an iconic team here in the US’

The deal is part of a concerted effort by the Dodgers to expand its global footprint as its new ownership aims to grow the brand overseas.

‘Over the last year, we have become, finally, the most heavily attended sports venue in the world,’ said Dodgers president and CEO Stan Kasten during a media conference at Dodger Stadium to announce the partnership.

‘But another important part of our history is the outreach we have had globally and internationally, and at a time when globalization is such an important thing for baseball as part of our new Commissioner’s initiative, it gives us great pride to be able to partner with the leading global brand in the airline category. We’re looking forward to even greater outreach.’

Dodgers ownership partner Peter Guber summed up the new partnership with a simple comparison.

‘The Dodgers provide emotional transportation for [their] audience, [their] fans, and of course Emirates provides physical transportation,” said Dodgers ownership partner Peter Guber.

‘The idea of this combination is one that is born because great brands like to associate with great brands.’

This deal sees Emirates expand its international sponsorship footprint into the baseball space.

Adding to its existing sports partnerships that span the worlds of football (with both FIFA and some of the world’s premier teams including AC Milan, Real Madrid, Arsenal FC, Olympiacos FC, Hamburger SV, and Paris Saint-Germain), plus a strong presence in tennis with a portfolio that includes the US Open, the Emirates Airline US Open Series, the Australian Open, the Emirates Airline Australian Open Series as well as the French Open and the ATP).

In the US Emirates already sponsors the New York Cosmos, the USA Rugby Team and the San Francisco Symphony.

This new sport’s addition has deep roots in American history and culture and is one which unifies many communities.

It is often seen not only as a showcase for sporting skill, but also the spirit of competition and fair play, a continuous drive to excel, and ability to foster a shared passion and connection with its fans.

All values Emirates and the Dodgers claim to share.

Comment

If it worked brilliantly once, then why not try, try and try again?

This on-pitch safety stunt is a simple reworking of the initiative that launched Emirates’ sponsorship of Portuguese football club Benfica (see case study).

That campaign received global media attention, universal praise from fans, the public and the sponsorship industry.

Plus it racked up an impressive 2,500,000 YouTube views.

The airline’s marketing and partnerships team will hope to achieve the same for its Dodgers do-over.

Links

Emirates YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/user/EMIRATES

Emirates Website:

http://www.emirates.com/

Emirates Twitter:

https://twitter.com/emirates

Emirates Instagram:

https://instagram.com/emirates/

Emirates Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/Emirates

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