How big is the Big League World Series? More than 7,000 baseball leagues with more than 2 million players participate around the world—in Europe, Asia-Pacific, Africa, Latin America and Canada—for the chance to become world champions. And for this one weekend, 11 teams representing 137 countries meet in Easley, South Carolina.
Client:
Big League World Series, a championship baseball tournament for the best 16- to 18-year-old players in the world, sponsored by Little League International.
Challenge:
Have you traveled to Upstate South Carolina in the summer? Families can choose from an award-winning downtown, the Blue Ridge Mountains, a short drive to the beach and many, many lakes and waterfalls. JMG had to build awareness of the Big League World Series (on a miniscule budget) by letting the Upstate know that this isn't your average baseball tournament—and these players aren't your average 16- to-18-year-olds. The lakes, mountains and waterfalls will be there next weekend. This tournament won't.
Solution:
Wanting to stretch the media dollars as much as possible, JMG chose to utilize a sponsoring radio station for live reads before and during the tournament, and to create print and online posters that would be placed throughout 200+ Upstate businesses, as well as local websites. But these ads couldn't simply say, "Game Tonight." They needed to convey the unique excitement, pressure and drama of the Big League World Series.
Execution:
The heroes of the posters were, of course, the players in action. They were complemented by headlines that spoke of their unique talents, dreams and aspirations. You get one chance a year to see these great talents, and they're right here in the Upstate. JMG also created a tagline that perfectly encompassed this theme: "Tomorrow's stars today."
Results:
Tournament attendance has surpassed 15,000 fans each of the last five years, with more than 4,000 people attending the Big League World Series Fan Fest that kicks off the event.
Solution Components: