“MLB fills out lineup for postseason promos”Volume 8 Issue 22 by Dave Andrews

While the Major League Baseball heads directly into their postseason competition play, so does the promotions and marketing efforts. The major themes that MLB are continuing are the “8 Teams – 1 Champion” and expanding on the “I Live For This” ad campaign who now has reached out to frenetic fans who have their own spot on television now.

While off-the-field sponsorship support is very little during the postseason, it will be evident during the first four games of the World Series. XM Satellite Radio will lead things off with a pin giveaway for fans at Game 1, Bank of America will underwrite a ticket holder/lanyard for Game 2 and Taco Bell will give the same item away but with their own branding on it. Taco Bell with also do an on-site promotion during the Roberto Clemente Award presentation which will be held at the beginning of Game 3. First year MLB sponsor Chevrolet will conclude its Latino MLB Legends program with a custom-publishing piece for all fans at Game 4 and award the World Series MVP vehicle after the final game.

Other sponsors include Viagra, Pepsi and Taco Bell who will get ceremonial first pitches and Wheaties, who will create a congratulatory cereal box after the final game. Fox has sold 90% of their commercial spots to the same returning sponsors as last year, which are certain to entertain our viewing intentions. We have to again think of the Superbowl how competitive sponsors are in comparison to the World Series which will entice a similar size of crowd.