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Baseball Needed A Story: World Series Edition
How rivalry and brand heritage has revitalized the World Series
Ali Kaltman
October 27, 2024
Brand: MLB
Campaign: The World Series
Read time: 5 minutes
💬 Overview 💬
Sports rivalries drive the biggest audiences in the world.
But why?
It’s alllll about the story.
Rivalries are built on history, passion, and identity.
Take Red Sox vs. Yankees — the infamous "Curse of the Bambino" sparked decades of tension, making Boston's 2004 World Series win unforgettable.
Or the one nearest and dearest to my heart — Michigan vs. Ohio State — where the stakes are as much about state pride as the game itself.
Every year breaks new records and brings “The Game” to new heights.
This year’s World Series taps into that same storytelling magic.
That’s why it is getting the attention it FINALLY deserves.
But why the LA Dodgers and New York Yankees? What’s really going on here?
Let’s get into it…
💙 The Branded Moment 💙
The components of a good story are simple.
You need (1) characters, (2) conflict, and (3) resolution.
And here’s why this year’s MLB Championship is the ULTIMATE story:
Characters
Ohtani & Judge
If you’ve been living under a rock, you might not know that Ohtani recently earned the HIGHEST bid in MLB history, making him one of the most sought-after players on the field.
Judge has been the Yankees star player for years, and the franchise (and state of NY) will do just about anything to keep him.
This year’s World Series has become a battle of two icons at the peak of their game.
Roberts (Dodgers Manager) & Boone (Yankees Manager)
Dave Roberts & Aaron Boone played for UCLA and USC (rival collages) back in the 1990s.
Both the star players of their respective teams, they played in one of the craziest games of all time, with the Bruins taking an early 7-1 lead and the Trojans scoring nine runs in the eighth inning to win 13-8.
Now, they're each managing the Dodgers and Yankees in the World Series.
Talk about DRAMA.
Conflict
The story here really starts back in the 1920s. The LA Dodgers used to be from Brooklyn team. To the Yankees, they were “Dem Bums”.
The Dodgers moved to LA in 1958, but the rivalry proved stronger than ever in 1963 when the Dodgers sweeped the Yankees in the World Series.
This shocking win solidified the Dodgers’ fandom on the west coast, and brought a whole new meaning to east vs. west coast.
In fact, no 2 teams have ever met in more World Series (with this year making it TWELVE times).
Though the 2 teams haven’t met in the World Series since the 80s, this series will prove to be a battle worth the wait.
Resolution
We clearly don’t know how this ends yet…
But you better believe I’ll be tuning in to see it play out in real time.
And it just so turns out the rest of the world will too…
💡 Results 💡
The first World Series game of 2024 brought in an audience of over 15 Million people.
This makes it the highest viewed game in SEVEN YEARS.
(And that game coincidentally ended in the FIRST EVER WALK-OFF GRAND SLAM!)
Updates to come as the Yankees take home field advantage in NY this week!
Like the rest of the world (especially MLB and Fox), I think we’re all hoping this goes to a Game 7…
🎬 Take Action 🎬
Naturally, as humans, we crave a great story.
Liquid Death is out to kill plastic. Taylor Swift is out to be the businesswoman the music industry never saw coming.
No hero can rise to the occasion without a villain.
This year’s World Series reminds us all: a good rivalry is unforgettable, and so is a meaningful brand story.
Who is your brand’s villain or rival? Are you telling that story clear enough for your audience to take notice?
What’s New This Week
One new product I tried this week 👉 Undercover Dark Chocolate Sea Salt Quinoa Bites - My new favorite plane snack of choice
One new campaign I’m loving 👉 Kate Spade and… M&M? I’d buy that bag.
One new piece of content to watch/listen to/read 👉 Vuori How I Built This - Sometimes you just need to keep at it until you find the right idea
Brandkeeping
If you enjoyed this newsletter, please forward it on to 3 marketers you know!
And if you have a brand or campaign you want to spotlight, please reply directly to this newsletter.
Let’s chat!
See ya!
Ali
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