The Pirates '98 ad campaign, featuring the slogan "What
Baseball's All About," kicked off Monday with three 30-
second TV spots and two radio pieces, according to Len
Boselovic of the PITTSBURGH POST-GAZETTE. Team ticket sales
"are already" 26% ahead of this period in '97. The spots
were created by Ketchum Advertising, in its 13th year with
the team. The ad budget for '98 is "a little bigger than
last year but still under $1 million" (POST-GAZETTE, 2/16).
COMING SOON TO A BALLPARK NEAR YOU: The White Sox
early-season ad campaign, which features spots with Albert
Belle, Frank Thomas and Robin Ventura starring as action
movie heroes, debuted in Chicago on Monday. The ads are
produced by DiMeo Doroba and Coudal Partners, and are
"trailers" for a mythical summer movie, "Line Shot." Ads
include billboards, print and radio spots along with TV
(White Sox). The campaign's tagline is, "For the Bad Guys,
It's No Runs, No Hits, No Mercy" (CHICAGO SUN-TIMES, 2/16).
CREATING A RACQUET: A new spot for the Cardinals
features Mark McGwire trading in his bat for a tennis
racquet. The spot, by Waylon Ad, is part of the "Baseball
Like It Oughta Be" campaign, and shows McGwire "returning
his forehand shots long, much like the 'long-ball' homers
that he hits" (Oscar Waters, ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH, 2/16).
