Nothing says Father’s Day like baseball and…Macy’s?

Posted on June 17th, 2008. Written by Emmett Jones.

Is there any venue into which baseball doesn’t stretch its steroid filled hands? Earlier in the year, MLB had teamed up with Indiana Jones to bring two of America’s favorite past time’s together; Baseball and Harrison Ford (huh? what?). This past weekend, baseball invaded America’s homes once again, this time in a much more traditional way…Macy’s catalogs! Details from the Boston Business Journal (another article on the topic by Sarah Talalay at the Sun Sentintel),

Macy’s has gathered a collection of 15 MLB stars and is pairing it with baseball team deals for a Father’s Day promo.

The players and managers will appear on the cover of a multimillion circulation Father’s Day Gift Guide that Macy’s will distribute during the next few months. In addition, many of the players will appear in local print ads. Some national print ads are also expected in magazines such as GQ and Esquire. The athletes and team deals are being used to push summer sportswear at Macy’s, including apparel from Tommy Hilfiger and Nautica.

To support the promotion, Macy’s has signed a number of club sponsorships, including the Astros, Braves, Cardinals, and Reds. In the week before Father’s Day, it will hold Macy’s nights at those ballparks, where it will distribute gate premiums and coupon books. Some of the players will make appearances at local Macy’s stores, and the retailer is using autographed baseballs as a premium that shoppers can buy at a discount with a purchase. Additional elements to the sweepstakes in some markets include unique baseball prizes, such as having a father/son catch on your favorite local MLB diamond.

That’s right America…cause nothing says Khaki’s like Manny Ramirez! It’s like they’ve taken a piece of an untouchable dream (dressing like a professional athlete) and gave it to me at an affordable price! All kidding aside though, I really like this marketing move by MLB, regardless of the party who started negotiations (rumor has it is that Source Communications conceived the project for Macy’s) Baseball is still in damage control mode (although the NBA is trying its best to draw the ire of the public) and how can you get more wholesome than a Macy’s ad? I mean, you would have had to give them all puppies or something to make them more endearing to the public…

…okay, you’ve convinced me Macy’s. I’m on my way to buy some polo shirts. Those baseball guys are just too wholesome!

Boston Business Journal: Macy’s signs MLB stars for Father’s Day Promo

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