MLB INTERNATIONAL NEWSLETTER WORLD BASEBALL CLASSIC EDITION CelebratingThrilling Baseball and Passionate Fans Take Center Stage the at the Inaugural Game World Baseball Classic Fanatics! total of 740,451 spirited rom the opening game in Tokyo to the Final in baseball fans from around the San Diego, the World Baseball Classic was a A globe showed up to support F true celebration of the game. All involved with their home teams at the World the event, from fans to players, exhibited an Getty Images (3) Baseball Classic. Draped in their unprecedented level of passion and appreciation for countries' flags with faces painted in baseball and dedication for their national teams. The national colors, fans from each of the seven tournament venues were filled with postseason- 16 teams brought a unique dynamic like enthusiasm and anticipation for every pitch. to the event. Many of those in When Major League Baseball and the Major League attendance danced and sang their Baseball Players Association teamed up to form World way through games, while others Baseball Classic, Inc. (WBCI) – the organizing entity of banged thunder sticks along to team the tournament – the goal was to establish a platform to chants. Passionate Major League increase worldwide exposure for baseball by showcasing Baseball fans put regular-season its greatest players in a premier international rivalries aside for a few weeks and competition. The inaugural event went a long way joined forces to support their toward achieving that goal. “Anything you do for the first countries on the diamond. time is not going to be perfect,” Commissioner Bud Selig “Major League Baseball has no said before the tournament’s Final. “But by any stretch idea how thankful we are for this of the imagination, this tournament exceeded my Following the Japanese tradition of “Dou age,” Manager Sadaharu Oh event,” said Juan Acevedo, a expectations in a myriad of ways. Absolutely!” is tossed into the air by Team Japan after defeating Team Cuba to win Venezuelan-born fan who traveled to the first ever World Baseball Classic Championship at PETCO Park. With 39 games over 18 days in seven cities and Orlando for Round 1. Julio Diaz came three countries, the 16 competing national teams From Albert Pujols of the Dominican Republic to all the way from New York to support were represented by all-star players with one goal in Derek Jeter of the United States, the greatest players the Dominican Team: “They came out mind: the Championship. On March 20, Team Japan in the world were represented. Of the 486 players to for the Dominican Republic, so I came emerged as the first ever World Baseball Classic participate, 235 (48%) were from Major League out for them” (March 8, NY Times). “A Champion. Their hard-fought 10-6 Baseball organizations. The remaining players came completely different kind of baseball victory over a very tough and ujols and Adri from professional and amateur leagues experience,” said Mia Kim, a rt P an B lbe el extremely talented Cuban A tre throughout the world. kindergarten teacher from South of team, in front of a sold-out Te More than 740,000 fans from 48 of the Korea who had never bought a ticket a crowd at PETCO Park, m 50 United States and 15 countries to a baseball game before the D o served as a thrilling m showed up to support their national tournament. “This is about showing i n patriotism and supporting my country” climax to the event. i teams at the World Baseball Classic and c a Right-hander Daisuke n millions more were able to watch game (March 10, LA Times). a Matsuzaka, the broadcasts in 205 different countries tournament MVP, and around the world. Fans collected outfielder Ichiro Suzuki tournament-licensed merchandise with were the respective their home country logos and player pitching and hitting stars for names at a rapid pace. Venue stores and the Champions. outside retailers experienced extremely strong “I never coached a team for a sell-through rates for ‘Classic’ gear. tournament like this and never thought While Japan won the Championship, the ultimate that the pressure would be so high. Baseball is the winners of the inaugural World Baseball Classic were best sport. Everyone has to work together and there is the sport of baseball and its fans. With the exceedingly nothing more wonderful than that,” said Japan Team positive reception of the first tournament, plans for the Manager and all-time home run leader Sadaharu Oh next World Baseball Classic, to take place in 2009, are Korean fans showed up in droves to support their national team in Tokyo, Anaheim and San Diego. after his team’s Championship performance. already underway. MARKETING ‘Baseball Spoken Here’ Players in Print he World Baseball Classic advertising and and creative appeal rather than text-heavy, rint ads were used both nationally and locally to T marketing campaign aimed to create an market-specific messaging. In this way, the P foster awareness of the event and create overall awareness of the first-time event, colorful, eye-catching ads were adaptable to excitement about the high-caliber players that would encourage ticket sales and build an all languages and participating countries and be participating in the tournament. As this was a international television audience. The message territories. “Face-the-world” was a global first-time event, including superstar MLB players like was designed to appeal to all involved from creative concept that retained its meaning and Albert Pujols, Ichiro Suzuki, Ivan Rodriquez, Roger motivating players and coaches to reaching impact with international, national, regional Clemens, Vinny Castilla and Andruw Jones in the consumers to spur attendance and viewership. and local executions. campaign helped to give the tournament a sense of After extensive agency reviews, Grey The campaign included three forms of legitimacy in the eyes of both players and fans. Worldwide was selected as agency of record media: print, radio and television. Ads were also National placements included sports magazines such for the campaign. Altus Entertainment provided posted on the mlb.com web portal, which sent as Sports Illustrated – most notably, in the highly- support on U.S.-based Hispanic placements periodic email blasts to subscribers and provided circulated Swimsuit Edition in February – ESPN The and promotional activities. video downloads of the ads for viewers. The Magazine, and USA Today. Major U.S. markets such Using the “face-the-world” concept, tagline “Baseball Spoken Here” provided the as New York, Boston, Chicago, Houston and Dallas featuring player faces over-layed with their overall theme. Ads also included a call-to-action were included in the awareness phase of the national flags, the campaign creative was a line - “I’ll be there for my country. Will you be campaign. More than 120 print insertions were poignant message promoting national identity. there for yours?” - designed to resonate with delivered in the U.S. market alone. The cross-cultural theme relied on emotion players and fans alike. As March approached and the relevant message shifted more intensely in the direction of game ticket sales, placements focused on the World Baseball Classic ballpark venue markets of San Diego, Anaheim/Los Angeles, Phoenix/Scottsdale and Orlando. Specific ads for retail consumer products were produced to support licensed good sales and ads were translated into languages as needed for international use by WBCI partners. TV Ad Spots Reach Millions elevision placements were designed to hit sports T and baseball enthusiasts in specific locations, particularly in markets where tournament games would be played. Ads ran during sports programming including the Olympics, MLB Spring Training games, NBA games, the Caribbean World Series and NCAA basketball. Non-traditional sports media was also On the Radio utilized in individual markets, such as Los Angeles, nglish and Spanish language radio spots featuring with a regionally-placed spot during the Academy E international superstars from Major League Baseball Awards and Grammy broadcasts. broke on December 12 and continued to run through the The most prominent non-traditional baseball ad tournament. Sixty and 30-second spots included the placement was activated during the NFL’s Super “Baseball Spoken Here” tagline as players reminisced Bowl. Featuring the “face-the-world” concept, the about their baseball beginnings and shared their spot was a dramatic awareness message to an enthusiasm about playing in the World Baseball Classic. extensive and diverse audience. Overall, TV spots Another creative wave of radio focused on ticket sales featured superstars such as Roger Clemens, Carlos and provided consumers with the information they Delgado, Ichiro Suzuki, Derek Jeter, Mike Piazza, Albert Pujols, and Dontrelle Willis. TV ads, needed to attend games. Radio spot buys included hot adult contemporary, oldies, sports, talk radio, news/traffic, in both English and Spanish, broke on January 23 and continued through the tournament. and sporting events. National broadcast partner ESPN created a series of tune-in spots for viewers on the In key Hispanic markets, radio was the media of choice. ESPN and ESPN2 channels, ESPN Deportes, DOS and ESPN’s Atlantic and Pacific Radio ads informed listeners about the ground-breaking networks. These spots featured Miguel Cabrera, Jorge Cantu, Derek Jeter, David Ortiz, international event and listeners responded positively to Akinori Otsuka, and Ivan Rodriquez. The TV rotation was supplemented with print in on-air sweepstakes ticket contests and on-location events ESPN The Magazine, ESPN Deportes, USA Today and online at espn.com. Outdoor at malls and other heavily-trafficked consumer locations. advertising included billboards in the Phoenix area, bus kiosks and vehicles in Orlando Airing spots featuring Mexican, Puerto Rican, Dominican and Miami, and subway cars in New York City.