All-Star Games bring out the best in sponsor activation. Other than the Super Bowl, they are the only events on the calendar that are big attention getters with pre-planned locations well in advance for brands to effectively plot out activation opportunities. No worry about short series or the wrong market. The planning and the activation from onsite to online, can be deep, creative and well thought out and executed. There is always weather to be factored in which makes baseball a bit different, but in terms of controllable events, All-Star activation, at least for MLB, NBA, MLS and NHL and yes foe the much-maligned Pro Bowl, is still a great but not inexpensive platform.
The biggest question that leagues and brands have is how to cut through the clutter. You can avoid replication of categories and activities, but how to best grab ROI is a big question. With the MLB All-Star Festivities on tap, here is one from a longtime sponsor that really seems to be a hit on multiple levels.
Chevrolet: The All-American car around the All-American game will have its usual wide arrange of exposure, from the traditional to the historic. They sponsor the All-Star Game MVP Award for the 11th consecutive year and the winner will be presented with the keys to a new Chevy car or truck. They will also sponsor the MLB All-Star Red Carpet Show that will air on MLB Network on July 14 and will feature the All-Star players arriving at the stadium in assorted Chevy Corvettes and Silverados after parading through the streets of Cincinnati from their hotel.
However one of the best promos is the simplest, one which we have talked about before. Chevrolet will also be presenting sponsor of MLB’s “Largest Game of Catch,” a youth initiative aimed at setting the Guinness World Record for most kids playing a game of catch at the same time.
The activation takes no massive technological miracle. It’s very sharable on social, it is something anyone easily understands and millions can relate to, and it connects directly to the core of the game, its history and its meaning for many watching; a communal family bind. Bring your glove and a ball and have fun.
If the numbers hold out for the record, and they well should, it will also make for a compelling and lasting visual that gave thousands of fans a chance to participate in a piece of not just All-Star, but world record history.
The “Largest Game” may not immediately sell cars but it connects to a brand strong in the game and in the American business soul. By taking the time to do things big and small, Chevy really scores again with MLB.
