MLB will air a new 60-second institutional ad during tonight's Chevy Home Run Derby on ESPN and tomorrow's All-Star Game on Fox that continues the league's "We Play For October" tagline. However, instead of music as a driving force, motivational/inspirational speaker Eric Thomas will deliver the message that October baseball is what matters. A fast-moving montage of game action and original footage depicts the passion of players from Babe Ruth to Bryce Harper, with an emphasis on contemporary stars. MLB's ad agency Hill Holiday created the spot. MLB CMO Jacqueline Parkes said, "Eric Thomas is a big Detroit Tigers fan and we fell in love with his voice, which is a way to break through clutter by itself. We really felt he could take the campaign to a new place and dimensionalize the players' passion." While music had been used over the last two years, Thomas' voice will be a hallmark of the campaign through the end of the season. A 30-second version of the ad will run across MLB asset media following the All-Star Game.
OTHER NEW ADS SET TO DEBUT: A number of new creatives will debut around the Midsummer Classic tomorrow night. Fox during the fifth inning of the game will break a 90-second promotion for Fox Sports 1. There also will be new creative from MLB sponsors, including MasterCard's spot where battling mascots Mr. Met and the Philly Fanatic settle their disputatious ways for charity. Anheuser-Busch will break a spot that showcases, via time lapse video, the great times had by fans at ballparks across the country. The spot will air during the All-Star Game, but not again until the postseason. Other MLB corporate sponsors with new creative for All-Star week include Chevrolet airing a new Silverado ad, T-Mobile with ads for its new JUMP offering and Bank of America.
