November 5, 2013

Legends are Born in October, but what about Pitchmen? Will any BoSox or Cardinals score on Madison Avenue?

The 2014 World Series went six compelling games, the ratings were solid, the beards full, and the performancesand umps callsmemorable.

But what does it all mean for the endorsement fortunes of the Red Sox and Cardinals players? Do any of them have the clout to lead major campaigns, or the power to compel consumers to buy? Is baseball too regional a sport for advertisers seeking athlete pitchmen with national appeal? And with so many jocks embroiled in scandal, and a social media landscape that amplifies every indiscretion into major news, are marketers willing to risk big bucks to tie their products to these guys?

Heres how this sports marketing expert rates the product-pitching talent:

HOME RUN:

David Ortiz. The Series MVP now has three rings, a new 2014 Chevy Silverado, and a Hall of Fame resume. One of the games most recognizable and well-liked players, Big Papi is perhaps the only one from this Big Show who could carry a national campaign.

His current endorsement income is in the neighborhood of $3-4M a year, and could see a $1M yearly bump following his remarkable Series performance at the plate. Not even an alleged positive test for PEDs revealed in 2009 has done much to damage his appeal. Look for him to show up on talk shows, cereal boxes, milk mustache ads, maybe even a trip to Disney World in the near future. Lethal to opposing pitchers, yet lovable to fans, Big Papis got the power to pitch power tools, muscle cars and trucks, or given his girth, any fast food. A good choice to reach the booming Hispanic market, too. And his This is our fing city quote could be the tagline for any local Boston ad campaign. The way he hit in this Series, Fox ought to add him to all future promos for their new show Almost Human.

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Dorfman on Sports

August 8, 2013

From the Desk of the Creative Chief: Giants Sell-A-Thon

By: Brian Bacino

The Giants are selling Tix Like Crazy!

Our mid year ticket promotional effort for the SF Giants, entitled “Giants Sell-a-Thon” features Sergio Romo and Brandon Belt hawk’n tickets like one of those NYC Crazy Eddie Electronics spots back in the day.

Trouble was, none of the Giant players had any idea what we were talk’n about. “Crazy Eddie”? “His Prices are insane”? Hm. Sometimes you forget just how young these players are. We had a similar experience on the The Hunter Pence — Animal House remake earlier this year. The guys were willing to play along, but had never heard of the film reference. Fortunately with YouTube and a strong internet connection at AT&T Park we were able to show Sergio and Brandon what we were going for:

A little Crazy Eddie. A little Billy Hayes. A little Shamwow. Bang!

From there, these two athlete-hams took over. And they are both naturals. Romo has proven it over the years especially with his break out “Romo Promos.” But Belt is fast becoming a scene stealer in his own right.

Just as he did in “Big Speech” when he played D Day with full on mustachioed style , B Belt put in some show stealing performances. Of course Romo, the reigning pitchman King was not about to be outdone. Enjoy the showdown.

The results are coming soon to a screen near you.

Brian Bacino, Creative Chief B2, SF Giants

July 18, 2013

Baker Street Theatre: July Showings

By: Harrison Chapman

Here at Baker Street, in an effort to creatively expand our horizons, we’ve been screening different films from all around the world, old and new alike. Each day, a new film is selected and screened in our lobby, playing on a loop throughout the working day. Baker Streeters are invited to sit down and watch it during lunchtime. Here is a summary of the films we’ve shown during the first half of this month. This is to become a semi-monthly feature on the blog, so keep an eye out!

July 1

Hard Boiled (1992)

John Woos police action classic of Hong Kong cinema. An Asian take on classic American dirty cop movies like Dirty Harry and Bullitt, Hardboiled also includes slow motion shootouts that would go on to inspire films like The Matrix.

July 2

Tootsie (1982)

Dustin Hoffmann plays an out-of-work actor who, out of desperation, pretends to be a woman and strikes it big in the world of soap operas. Its a comedy that speaks to serious issues that affect American society to this day.

July 3

Stripes (1981)

Bill Murray, Harold Ramis, and John Candy star in this classic example of a service comedy a type of story that has been told for centuries in one way or another, often portraying sloppy soldiers as protagonists among a serious and intimidating armed force. Its both a celebration and satire of military life, defying authority and embracing it.

July 8

Caddyshack (1980)

Continuing the theme left by the two previous lobby films, Tootsie and Stripes, I thought it would be fun to explore the world of comedy exclusively for the next 2 weeks, starting with one of the most iconic comedies in American history.

July 11

Annie Hall (1977)

Woody Allen at his peak (at least for his acting career). I would argue this is the most adored romantic comedy of all time, perfectly mixing comedy with the sting of an ending love affair.

July 12

The Graduate (1967)

Seductive filmmaking galore, from the cool shots of the pool ripples overlaid onto Dustin Hoffmans head to the clever editing between scenes as one action seems to lead into another at a completely different time and place, The Graduate is nearly an art house comedy with its attention to detail and love of the art of film.

Baker Street Theatre

June 26, 2013

From the Desk of the Creative Chief: Uncle Sam and Thomas Jefferson Go Surfing

By: Brian Bacino

With Honda’s July 4th sales event coming, we enlisted our Holiday Hipster icons to spread the news. You may remember Tommy J and Sam from last year’s July 4th Honda spot, where they were hanging in a coffee shop, surf’n the web, and just chillin.

Well, this year, our idea was to send Uncle Sam and Thomas Jefferson surfing for real, showing off how epic Honda’s are for the great outdoors, and hype the deals at the July 4 Honda Sales Event. To make this spot work, we wanted to make the cars look like a million dollars even though the comedy is fairly cheap. Check out how ridiculously hot the CR-V looks with a surfboard on its rack. And marvel how a surfboard can fit in the back of a fuel-efficient sporty Fit and stylish Civic.

Check out the :60 extended version here.

To get the perfect look for the cars and TV spot, we headed out to the Oregon coast, a couple hours outside of Portland, where our actors, JJ Johnston and Dallas Bryant, reside.

We also enlisted the talents of DP extraordinaire Kevin Emmons. Kevin’s eye and a rare 2 days of incredible weather (thanks David) made for a luscious look. And as promised, the comedy was plenty cheap.

See the :10 shortened cut here.

Now the twist on this story created a story of its own. The punch line of this spot is that as TJ steps from the car bragging about his spectacular 44 mpg, he reveals a bathing suit that is well as Uncle Sam so delicately put it, “Tight.”

To find just the right suit that everybody felt walked the line between funny and “awkward” (as my 12 year old put it) we had to scour the streets of San Francisco from the Castro to the Haight. Here’s the short list, so to speak.

Option #1: The Hugo Boss

Option #2: The Star Spangled Spanx

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Brian Bacino, Creative Chief B2, Holiday Advertising, Honda

June 25, 2013

Dribbling for Dollars: Which Miami & San Antonio players will score on Madison Ave?

By: Bob Dorfman

A player on the championship Miami Heat team can expect to score a low six-figure bonus payout, a shiny new $30,000 ring, and bragging rights for a lifetime.

But thats small change compared to the millions of dollars in endorsement deals, speaking engagements, appearance fees, memorabilia sales, reality show gigs and other marketing opportunities that this Finals triumph can unlock.

So which Heat playersand Spurs, if anyhave the best shot at scoring big on Madison Avenue? Who gets the Wheaties box, trip to Disney World, milk mustache, talk show gigs, guest spot on Dancing With The Stars? Heres how this ad guy rates the commercial talent:

SLAM DUNK:

LeBron James. Already the NBAs most marketable player, King James second consecutive ring and Finals MVP award could add another $5-7M a year to his current $40M in yearly off-the-court income. Sports Illustrated just ranked him the worlds most influential active athlete.

And hes not just a pitchman, hes a businessmanwith ownership stakes in the Liverpool soccer club, PureBrands, Cannondale bikes, and more. After last summers Olympic Gold in London, James has been busy building his global brand, especially in the booming Asian market, signing deals to pitch Dunkin Donuts and the NBA2K14 video game in China. Seen during Finals commercial breaks in ads for Beats by Dre headphones and 2K Sports NBA2K14 video gamehis first game cover everJames also scored congratulatory ads from Nike and Samsung, and could make a trip to Disney World, nab more work from current clients Coca-Cola, McDonalds, Samsung and State Farm, and earn heavy rotation on talk shows, award shows, and in social media.

The LeBron brand is global, his celebrity transcends his sport, and his appeal crosses all demographics. Except, perhaps, the Cleveland market. And at 28, hes got plenty of big yearsand ring opportunitiesahead. And though his marketing dance card is very full, there are still openings for automotive, financial institutions, mens fashion and grooming products, Eau de LeBron cologne, King James Triple Double BBQ Sauce, Gentleman James bourbon, and more. LBJ has been taking himself very seriously these days; might be nice to see his sponsors inject a little more humor into his ads, as Sprint does with Kevin Durant, Kia does with Blake Griffin, and Nike did with The LeBrons. But if you want King James to pitch your product, it better be a multi-year deal for a global brand and/or an equity stake. And you better have at least seven figures to offer.

STRONG SHOT:

Dwyane Wade. With three rings, two cute kids (co-stars in his Dove for Men campaign), and one hot girlfriend (actress Gabrielle Union), its no wonder D-Wade pulls in $12M a year in endorsement earnings. Hes a familiar name and face to even the most casual hoops fan, a style icon, and an engaging personality.

His current Gatorade spot with Kevin Durant is one of the years best (more…)

Dorfman on Sports

June 5, 2013

What The Kids Are Up To: Sunrise Tradition

By: Sherlock

Whether its a summer BBQ with extended family, a nightly trip to a local ice cream parlor, or even watching your favorite football team on the weekend, almost everyone has some sort of tradition in which he or she partakes. But in this fast-paced world we live in, these regular rituals are slowly but surely disappearing. Nowadays, its not uncommon for work, jobs around the house, sports practices, or fatigue to get in the way of a previous commitment, sometimes ending a trend that had withstood the test of time. Which is why, when were all home, my closest friends and I make sure one tradition of ours remains alive and well.

It started as a fun idea that we had all wanted to try, but soon evolved into a full-blown routine with new additions every time it occurs. The tradition is as follows: one morning when we have all returned from our various adventures away from home, the five of us rise and shine bright and early, and head off to a previously selected location in San Francisco or the Marin Headlands. Once situated, we sit in the dark and watch as the sun peaks over Mount Diablo, and sneaks its rays into the Bay Area and downtown SF. After blinding ourselves for about 30 minutes or so, we get back into the car and head for Haight Street.

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Creative Intern Kirk, From the Desk of the Intern

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