We here at Promo Marketing are absolutely giddy over the looming MLB season, especially since it will mark the 150th anniversary of the pro game (and the return of warm weather). The commencement of the historic campaign, though, will not be the only awe-inspiring event this spring, as “Game of Thrones” is set to start its final season April 14. The sport and the mega-hit HBO series are enhancing their already pretty robust ties to each other all year long thanks to FOCO and the National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum, with the two preparing to offer close to 90 of the co-branded bobbleheads for retail sale.
Don't miss out on the officially licensed @GameOfThrones @MLB Bobbleheads! Every team is represented and you can pre-order them now at https://t.co/riBEPhG8kE*. pic.twitter.com/IdEJOuk5AM
— National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum (@BobbleheadHall) February 27, 2019
For fans of either MLB or “Game of Thrones,” it figures to be a fun stretch of months, commencing in April, just in time for the show’s final season. Eighty-five of the bobbleheads will be able to make their way to end-users through the Bobblehead Hall of Fame, the first such time that HBO will be licensing “Game of Thrones” bobbleheads for retail consumption. That total represents two “Night King” and “Ice Dragon” creations for each of the 30 MLB teams and an additional token for the 25 clubs that have a mascot, with said mascot set to sit on The Iron Throne. When we read that, we thanked the mascot gods for the Philadelphia Phillies’ decision to give us the Phanatic nearly 41 years ago. Any chance to immortalize him even more will always win our favor.
Local pride aside, this is a fine example of co-branding and cross-promotion, proof that baseball, no matter what naysayers contend, is definitely not “boring.” The game is capturing the zeitgeist by paying tribute to “Game of Thrones,” making it a worthy contemporary—at least in terms of commonly acknowledged pop culture heavyweights at baseball games—to The Beatles and “Star Wars,” both of which receive considerable due each year at MLB parks and stadiums.
This concept also figures to help the Bobblehead Hall of Fame thrive, as its online store will be the one sending the products across the country. Spring is coming, but “Game of Thrones” is not ready to let winter slip away just yet. And these bobbleheads, which, for fans who want all three, total $150, are not likely to receive the cold shoulder as umpires prepare to cry “Play ball!”
