Cubs radio play-by-play man Pat Hughes during his call of the final out of World Series Game 7 "tucked in some words" from team sponsor State Farm "before he began telling the audience what was happening in front of him," according to Phil Rosenthal of the CHICAGO TRIBUNE. Hughes after the final out on WSCR-AM said, "It's never felt better to fly the W. Congratulations 2016 world champions from a proud partner of the Chicago Cubs, State Farm. Great scene on the field, bear hugs, absolute joy." WSCR-AM Operations Manager Mitch Rosen on Thursday said that the State Farm bit "stemmed from the company being 'a great partner of the Cubs and a great partner of ours' and that it was sufficiently separated from Hughes' championship call." Rosen: "There was crowd noise and then there was a congratulatory message from State Farm. If they had lost last night, obviously that spot doesn't run. It was literally 10 seconds and we felt it fit right within the content of that moment." Rosenthal noted Hughes during the NLCS clincher had "allowed ambient sound at Wrigley Field to paint an aural picture" (CHICAGO TRIBUNE, 11/5).
DYE-HARD FANS: AD AGE's Jessica Wohl noted ad agency Leo Burnett was "part of the push to dye" the Chicago river "Cubby Blue" after the World Series victory. A Leo Burnett spokesperson "declined to say whether the agency helped pay, but called the effort a partnership among" the agency, the city and the Plumbers Union (ADAGE.com, 11/4).
