Business Challenge

One of MLB’s key business challenges is the lack of mainstream recognition and appreciation for its star players. Unlike the NBA or NFL, where top athletes become household names and cultural icons, many of baseball’s brightest talents remain relatively unknown outside the sport’s core fanbase. This limits the league’s ability to market its players, attract younger audiences, and compete in a crowded entertainment landscape. Bridging this visibility gap is crucial for MLB’s growth and long-term relevance.

Campaign Insight

Many people’s connections with athletes begin by playing them in video games, collecting them as action figures, or seeing them as an animated hero. We brought our players’ performance to life in a fantastical way while still being true to what they do on the diamond. Through one of the most popular entertainment genres in the universe, anime.

Overarching Idea

It doesn’t matter whether you’re the star rookie or the seasoned legend. Whether the world thinks you were chosen for greatness or you defied all the odds to get here. What matters is doing whatever it takes to be the best when your time comes.

We worked with our partners at Wieden + Kennedy, and production houses Passion and Echelle to create an anime campaign in which each frame was authentically hand drawn.

Campaign Deliverables

Films: :75s, :30s and :15s (English, Spanish and Japanese), :10s/:15s Films for 9 individual athletes - Radio (English and Spanish), OOH in Tokyo, Mexico City, London and New York, Reactive anime social imagery for use on MLB and Club channels - working with Consumer Products on Bat and Bobblehead activations with official licensees