2009 MLB All-Star Game yields ad success with Obama's help
— -- A "giving back" message and a popular president seem to be a recession-beating double-play for Major League Baseball and Fox for their All-Star Game broadcast July 14.
President Obama will throw out the game's first pitch on the Fox broadcast from Busch Stadium in St. Louis. And he'll appear during pregame coverage in a seven-minute video on community service that also features former presidents Bill Clinton and Jimmy Carter and both of the Bushes.
"Given what's happened this year and given the mood of the country, hopefully he will play some small part in boosting morale," says Bob DuPuy, MLB chief operating officer. "There is no question that having the president adds to the significance of the event and no doubt will appeal to baseball and non-baseball fans."
The theme for the game and numerous ads — community service — also has been the centerpiece of a season-long promotion by MLB and People magazine spotlighting people who have done good things in their communities. People from each of baseball's 30 markets will be honored at the game and also in the video in which each of the presidents talks about volunteering.
The community-service message has struck a chord with advertisers, who bought out all the game's 73-unit ad inventory about two weeks ahead of last year. The game ads were sold out before it was announced that President Obama would throw out the first pitch at prices up by single-digit percentages, thanks to the best ratings in a decade for last year's game. But the president's presence helped Fox get a 30% premium on its unsold pregame ad slots.
That's a good omen for MLB — which has seen attendance at stadiums down 5.1% so far this year vs. the same period last year — and for Fox — which has seen the audience for its nationally televised games decline 3%, according to Nielsen.
"Without a doubt (the president) is going to have a great effect on the ratings of the game to have more people stay to watch," says Neil Mulcahy, head of sports advertising sales for Fox.
He also hopes that the sellout is a sign of a larger recovery in ad spending.
"When you put it all in the till, we are probably going to be up" in revenue for the game, he says. "Hopefully, this is a sign that the economy keeps moving toward a recovery."
Advertisers fueling Fox optimism:
•Pepsi.PepsiCo is the game's biggest advertiser, with three ads for Pepsi and three for Gatorade. "We were already very happy about our sponsorship, and now the president's participation makes this a home run for us," spokeswoman Nicole Bradley says.
•Anheuser-Busch. The company with long ties to St. Louis will air three ads. Its Clydesdale horses and beer wagon will do a lap around the field during the pregame. "They are so closely connected with Budweiser and have been a symbol for the brand," says Keith Levy, A-B vice president, marketing.
"Particularly with what's going on with the economy and the world, they bring people back to simpler times."
•Holiday Inn. The InterContinental brand has been getting a $1 billion face-lift since 2007 and will have three ad slots to introduce its new logo, signs and rooms.
"Fans are returning to the basics – to brands that are practical and that they know they can trust," says Kevin Kowalski, senior vice president of Global Brand Management, Holiday Inn Brands. "And as the official hotel of Major League Baseball, no partnership says Americana more than Holiday Inn and MLB."
•Chevrolet. Chevy will spotlight its redone 2010 Equinox in ads and on signs behind home plate and displays in the stadium. "The headline for Equinox, in addition to the great new looks, is the 32 mpg highway fuel economy," spokesman Terry Rhadigan says.