Star Tracking

In July, Seattle became Baseball Central — in addition to the home of grunge bands and coffee shops — as it hosted the Major League Baseball All-Star Game.

Although I’m only a casual fan, I gladly took the trip in order to rub shoulders with the stars I’ve only seen on TV, and to thumb my nose at fanatical friends watching from home. Oh, and also to see how well the game’s numerous sponsors delivered their messages to the baseball faithful. Here’s my itinerary.

Sunday, July 8

For attendees, the actual All-Star Game is just the cherry on top. The game has become almost secondary for sponsors, too.

Much of the excitement now revolves around the John Hancock All-Star FanFest, a five-day smorgasbord of 40 brand-sponsored, baseball-related activities that kicked off on July 6. This year’s FanFest was held at the Stadium Exhibition Center, located across the street from the Seattle Mariners’ SafeCo Field.

Boston-based John Hancock is in the third year of a five-year deal to be title sponsor. All sponsors recruit local volunteers to work the event for free. Tickets cost $15 for adults and $10 for children under 12, seniors, and military personnel. John Hancock gave away 4,000 tickets to local children.

I arrived on what I assumed would still be a travel day for many fans, but FanFest was mobbed. This year’s event boasted 175,000 total attendees to break the old record of 172,000 set in Pittsburgh in 1994. It also set single-day attendance records of 24,500 on Sunday and nearly 28,000 on Monday.

FanFest was a branding bonanza. Kids and middle-aged men scampered through the AT&T Broadband “Steal Home Challenge,” a race that approximates the distance between third base and home plate (but requires no sliding, in this litigious age). Adidas let children play tee-ball on “The Diamond.” Century 21 and Claritin, two of the game’s most prolific sponsors, ran batting cages.

Not too surprisingly, many of the most ardent fans proved to be the worst athletes. Maybe that explains why broadcast presentations were as popular as the physical activities. Lee Sport hosted “This Week in Baseball,” a booth at which fans could “call” a great moment such as Mark McGwire’s 62nd home run or Barry Bond’s 500th dinger. Fox Sports Net likewise hosted a mock broadcast booth that let participants see themselves on closed-circuit TV. Fans I polled later most readily recalled Lee and Fox as sponsors.

FanFest attendees also had quick recall of the MasterCard Clubhouse, which sold official league merchandise and did a brisk business. When I reached the register to pay for a hat, I was informed that using my MasterCard would earn a discount (I got $5 off a $25 cap). MasterCard also manned card sign-up booths that were scattered throughout the Stadium Exhibition Center.

Although signage was ubiquitous, most booth workers were low-key, letting the brand message sink in subtly as fans enjoyed the activities rather than harassing them with relentless sales pitches or information requests. “This is the event that goes on the longest,” says John Hancock vp Steve Burgay. “It’s a family event and it’s multi-generational. Fans can touch baseball in a way they normally wouldn’t.”

Burgay says Seattle was one of the better host cities for FanFest. “Quality often depends on the venue,” he adds. “You may get a town that’s not as passionate about the game.”

Outside the center, ConAgra Foods served as title sponsor of the MLB Road Show, a caravan of trailers from brands such as Budweiser, Century 21, Nickelodeon, and The National Peanut Tour.

Although I hate peanuts (they give me hives), the presence of the Hooters Girls at the National Peanut trailer “inspired” me to take a brief tour of peanut history — so I wouldn’t look too obvious when I asked them for a group photo.

Anheuser-Busch proved even more attractive to the masses with its Bud World (February PROMO) and a team of Clydesdales. Other sponsors may have been looking on jealously as attendees mobbed the trailer to catch a glimpse of NASCAR star Dale Earnhardt Jr. — who flew to Seattle right after winning that weekend’s Pepsi 400.

“We treat the All-Star Game and the FanFest as huge events,” says Steve Uline, group director of sports marketing at Anheuser-Busch. “The on-site activities are becoming bigger and bigger.”

Elsewhere at the Road Show, heartburn medication Prevacid took a strategic position next to hot dog and kielbasa stands to hand out free samples. Outback Steakhouse pitched a tent alongside SafeCo Field to offer food, drink, and some shade. Nearby brew pub Pyramid Ale hired teens to drive around convertibles shouting out lunch suggestions. (The restaurant was at maximum capacity.)

After two hours, I finally made it inside SafeCo Field for RadioShack All-Star Sunday. The stands began filling for the cheesy All-Star Legends & Celebrity Softball Game, which featured retired players such as Don Mattingly and Goose Gossage and celebrities including Vanessa Williams and Freddie Prinze Jr. A plastic red “fence” sporting the RadioShack logo was set up just beyond the infield to serve as a home-run barrier. I cheered when Mattingly homered off a check-swing, and laughed when Prinze struck out (heartthrob indeed). Between innings, Pepsi-Cola reps armed with air cannons fired T-shirts into the crowd.

Monday, July 9

And I thought Sunday was hectic. Monday began with the Claritin All-Star Workout Day, which was identified as such by a giant electronic sign in center field. After players from the American and National leagues took batting and fielding practice, Toys “R” Us and MLB hosted the finals of the Diamond Skills Competition, a national tournament that lets youngsters compete in fundamentals such as batting, fielding, throwing, and base-running. The finals featured 16 competitors in four age groups who were also allowed to shag balls for the pros’ batting practice.

Next came the week’s first major on-field event: the Century 21 Home Run Derby. Fans at SafeCo got to experience the thrill of leading sluggers going head-to-head — particularly those of us who had to dodge the shots crashing into the right-field press box.

Down in the box seats, the eight regional finalists of the third-annual Century 21 Home Run Derby Sweepstakes got better treatment. Selected after a February-through-May sweeps for which more than 250,000 consumers entered, the finalists won trips for two to Seattle and were randomly matched with a derby contestant. Broadcasting the contest, ESPN offered heavy coverage of the winners, cutting to their reactions as their players came to bat.

“Matching up participants with players was a big change for us,” says Steve Savino, Century 21’s executive vp-global marketing. “It heightened the drama and created a lot of exposure for us, because the ESPN announcers had to explain to viewers what was going on step by step.”

Fans were also kept on the edge of their seats by MasterCard’s “Hit It Here, Win $1 Million” sign in deep centerfield, which would have awarded one random attendee the money had a player smacked it during either the Home Run Derby or the All-Star Game. (MasterCard executives weren’t that nervous, however, because the league itself insures the prize, confides MasterCard vp Bob Cramer.)

Game Day, July 10

We finally got down to some real baseball. After several days of relentless branding, the emphasis turned to the game itself rather than its sponsors. Fans gave a standing ovation to future Hall of Famers Cal Ripken Jr. and Tony Gwynn, both of whom were honored on-field. Ripken and Derek Jeter cracked home runs as the American League won 4-1.

Leaving the stadium, fans buzzed excitedly not just about the game, but about the entire five days. I walked away with two thoughts in my mind. The first is that All-Star sponsors probably score major points with fans for helping to supply so much entertainment.

The second is that, if I ever hear John Fogerty’s “Centerfield” again, I’ll go crazy.