A promotional campaign can be much more than just a product. With products like signage and other large-format printed products, you can create an immersive experience, where every bit, from head to toe, is part of the campaign. Each sightline is branded, and the products that the end-user receives is just another aspect of it.
Mattel, which has always been one of the biggest names in the toys game but is now somehow even more ubiquitous thanks to the “Barbie” movie last year, partnered with AthLife and promotional products distributor BDA for Barbie-themed activations at MLB and WNBA games.
The first event will be later this month when the Boston Red Sox take on the Houston Astros, with the Aug. 20 being the first “MLB Barbie Night” game.
As part of the theme night, BDA sourced multiple products for Sox and Astros fans to receive at Fenway Park.
“We have three core items in our current Mattel program – a sherpa belt bag, a button-down baseball jersey, and a button-down Hawaiian shirt,” says Anouk Pape, DVP of marketing and creative services for BDA.
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Additionally, the teams might do some ancillary products for the game-day installation, like signage.
The goal for BDA, however, was to incorporate the “Barbie” branding alongside the normal team logos and branding.
“All designs were created in collaboration with both the teams and Mattel to incorporate the core ‘Barbie’ logos and colors alongside the team marks,” Pape says. “As these items are made for a specific event, the ‘Barbie’ branding is prominent to ensure focus on the collaboration with Mattel.”
https://x.com/Twins/status/1820478380116197379
The biggest challenge, according to BDA, was just making sure that it could get the products designed, printed, and delivered in time for such a large-scale campaign. Each piece had to be equally represent all parties involved, too, so it was as true a co-branding effort as the team could get.
“Since this is a new partnership, our biggest challenge was making sure we were able to quickly align our supply chain with Mattel’s standards so we could meet the needs of each team,” Pape says. “Our partners at Athlife helped to facilitate this collaboration to ensure that all parties felt their brand was best represented and quality standards were met. Our goal was to produce memorable products that well represented both brands, and we feel that the products that came out of this collaboration are excellent and will be well-received by the fans.”
