Cubs' Ad Campaign For '13 Season Focuses On Stories From "Committed" Fans

The Cubs and ad agency Schafer Condon Carter, Chicago, on Friday are launching a new marketing campaign, dubbed "Committed," in conjunction with the start of single-game ticket sales. Creative will feature stories about the team from actual fans. Ads will appear in print, online, radio and out-of-home platforms, including area public transportation, with TV ads to launch in April. Michael Walters Advertising serves as the team's media buying agency for the campaign (Cubs). In Chicago, Danny Ecker reported many of the fans who will appear in the campaign "were plucked from the crowd at this year's Cubs Convention." Among the stories being told include a couple from Indianapolis "who got engaged at Wrigley Field" and a man "with a tattoo of a Cubs logo and Ron Santo's signature" on the back of his head. Schafer Condon Carter this season is replacing Brooklyn Brothers, N.Y., as the team's ad agency. Brooklyn Brothers was behind the Cubs' "Baseball Is Better" campaign last year, while DraftFCB, Chicago, created the "It's a Way of Life" theme used in '10 and '11 (CHICAGOBUSINESS.com, 3/7). Also in Chicago, Rob Manker noted the Cubs' campaign includes a "series of ad slogans including 'Not if. When' and 'Nothing worth having ever comes easy.'" Meanwhile, the White Sox "rolled out their 'Make an impact' ad spot, including the social media-friendly Twitter hashtag, '#Makeanimpact,' a slogan befitting a team that may not be the favorite to win its division but could find itself again in the hunt." A 33-second video posted on WhiteSox.com "shows Sox players hard at work in the weight room preparing in the offseason to 'make an impact' come Opening Day" (CHICAGOTRIBUNE.com, 3/7).

YES WE CAN: The Giants will enter the '13 season looking for their third World Series win in four years, and the team's promo campaign via Baker Street Advertising, S.F., is called, "Together We Can." Baker Street Advertising Creative Dir Brian Bacino said the campaign “is really a continuation of ‘Together We're Giants,’ a campaign started just after the World Series in 2010." Bacino: "The club was very interested in paying homage to its fans and giving credit to that incredible run to their fans, and we've kept that going. ... What you're going to see all season are fans and players sort of interacting, trying to help each other out.” He noted the players “are fantastic” to work with on the ads because “they're so into it and because they're doing it together and they're doing it as a group." Bacino: "There's some one-upmanship that comes along with it” ("Chronicle Live,” Comcast SportsNet Bay Area, 3/7).