Baseball is searching for a new megastar and Red Bull might have just become the first brand to attach itself to the man some believe could replace the recently retired Derek Jeter as the MLB’s ace ambassador – Kris Bryant
For technical contract-length reasons, rookie phenomenon Bryant actually began the 2015 season in Iowa’s Minor Leagues, but when the Chicago Cubs summoned him from ‘the farm’ for his Major League debut on 17 April Red Bull continued its exclusive content strategy by rolling out the slugger’s first athlete ambassador ad campaign.
The first of many one presumes – after all, Bryant is the most hyped young player in baseball.
During his seven games in Iowa this season, Bryant blasted three homers and batted a very impressive .321 and Red Bull’s campaign suggests that while he was down on the farm honing his baseball skills he was also milking cows and tending goats (more of which later).
The spot humorously depicts Bryant’s time ‘down on the farm’ in Iowa – complete with Iowa agricultural stereotypes mixing with a heavy dose of ‘Field of Dreams’ baseball.
The three-minute, mini-mockumentary blends farm-footage with vox-pops from some of Chicago’s most notable Cubs fans and sportsmen – from Chicago Bulls star Joakim Noah, to legendary Chicago Bears coach Mike Ditka, ex-Cubs great Ron Cey, Smashing Pumpkins frontman Billy Corgan and a slew of other diehard Cubs fans.
All these success-starved supporters wax lyrical about the youngster’s skills and what Bryant means to the Cubs franchise.
The campaign, the first major commercial Bryant has fronted in his professional career, spans both Red Bull’s own web channel (www.redbull.com/krisbryant) and social sites as well as Bryant’s personal platforms.
The campaign was also promoted through the slugger’s own social channels, including his Twitter
https://twitter.com/KrisBryant_23/status/589563077055635456
Excited to be here.. Love this city!! @Cubs @redbullCHI http://t.co/olRDXN59SX
— Kris Bryant (@KrisBryant_23) April 18, 2015
and Instagram feeds.
https://instagram.com/krisbryant23/
With so much hype, appetite for information about Bryant is high and the energy drink behemoth is feeding it by ensuring more exclusive Kris Bryant content is available at www.redbull.com/krisbryant.
The campaign aims not just to engage as a standalone initiative, but also to drive consumers to engage and experience the world of Red Bull and its ‘best action sports clips’ and ‘original series’ on the web.
By creating its own content and channels to sit alongside its owned brand sports and adventure properties and its official sponsorships and ambassador deals, Red Bull is creating so much rich content that it is selling ad space and partnership promotional opportunities to third party partners.
But who, you ask, is Kris Bryant?
What is all the fuss about and what’s that about a goat?
Well, he was the No 2 draft pick out of the University of San Diego in 2013 was the best hitter in college and the 2014 Minor League Player of the Year.
Hopes are sky high that he can lead the charge to end the Cubs long, long wait for a World Series.
Famously, the legendary north side Chicago team (founded in 1870 and with the second oldest ballpark in America) has what is described as ‘the losingest record in baseball’.
The Cubs haven’t won the World Series since 1908 and, according to legend, have been suffering from the ‘Curse of the Billy Goat’.
This curse was placed on the Cubs in 1945 when Billy Goat Tavern owner Billy Sianis was asked to leave a World Series game against the Detroit Tigers at Wrigley because his pet goat was bothering fans. He was outraged and declared: ‘Them Cubs, they ain’t gonna win no more’. And they haven’t.
The Cubs have not won a National League pennant since this incident and have not won a World Series since 1908.
But fans hope Bryant is going to be the star who breaks the curse.
‘Man, I don’t believe in the curse of the goat,’ says Bulls’ 6-foot-11 centre Joakim Noah in the ad (who later adds ‘I don’t care that Kris is Chicago’s new favourite guy. He’s only 6-5. He’s still a miniature person’).
Comment
Not only does this campaign showcase Red Bull’s storytelling skills, but in linking itself to Bryant it also shows perception and vision.
Indeed, getting in early could turn out to have long-term ‘big league’ brand benefits for the energy drink.
After all, baseball is a sport in search of a megastar.
While Major League Baseball has its share of stand-out players – such as Buster Posey, Andrew McCutchen and Mike Trout – ever since last season’s retirement of Yankees legend Derek Jeter (see case study) the MLB has lacked an iconic, national/global heavyweight star.
There is no MLB equivalent of LeBron James, Tiger Woods, Christiano Ronaldo and no Lionel Messi.
Sure, MLB is in rude healthy. Despite attendance plateauing out (for the moment), it is benefiting from a record broadcast deal and both the minor leagues and spring training set new attendance records.
Indeed, the MLB’s new, feel-good 2015 season campaign, #This (see case study) is looking to the future and trying to unearth stars.
And so are the brands that leverage the game.
Has Red Bull got there first with Bryant?
Links
Red Bull Website
Red Bull YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/user/redbull
Red Bull Facebook
Red Bull Twitter:
Kris Bryant Twitter
https://twitter.com/KrisBryant_23
Kris Bryant Instagram
https://instagram.com/krisbryant23/
Chicago Cubs
