• Client: Fox TV
• Agency: In house (Fox Sports Marketing Group)
• Principals: For Fox: Eric Markgraf, executive producer, and Scott Bantle, creative director. For MLB: Tim Brosnan, executive vice president of business, and Jacqueline Parkes, senior vice president of advertising and marketing.
• Media buy: Fox Network and across its cable holdings, including Fox Sports Net, FX, Speed Channel, Fox News Channel, Fuel and National Geographic Channel. Also some non-Fox cable via MLB asset media.
• Summary: In a tribute to the “The Blues Brothers” movie, some of the game’s biggest stars, including Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, Eric Gagne, Jason Giambi and Alex Rodriguez careen around town in vintage cars with speakers attached, promoting their candidacy for the MLB All-Star Game and their contention of AL or NL superiority. Runs with the tag line, “This one counts.”
• Grades:
C+ for creative: Entertaining but cluttered, and the presidential election tie is strained. While we love “The Blues Brothers,” we’re curious whether an homage to a 24-year-old film will garner MLB the young male demo it craves.
B- for use of sports as a marketing vehicle: Impressive collection of top-tier MLB talent, but that’s the pity; we could have used more personality and fewer car shots.
Sports Sports is a monthly feature of SportsBusiness Journal. Please forward VHS tapes of recent TV ads for sports brands or brands using sports as a marketing platform to Terry Lefton, SportsBusiness Journal, 750 Third Ave., Third Floor, New York, NY 10017.
