Callaway Posted May 5, 2004 Share Posted May 5, 2004 I guess it was inevitable since MLB teams began selling stadium names to the highest bidder, but this is just lame. I'm sure this will really help them connect with a younger audience much more than lowering ticket prices so parents can AFFORD to take their kids to a MLB game... Spider-Man is coming to a base near you. Ads for "Spider-Man 2" will be placed atop bases at major league ballparks during games from June 11-13 as part of a promotion announced Wednesday. The move is the latest push by baseball to increase its marketing to younger fans ? and make money along the way. "I guess it's inevitable, but it's sad," said Fay Vincent, a former baseball commissioner and former president of Columbia Pictures, which is releasing the movie. "I'm old-fashioned. I'm a romanticist. I think the bases should be protected from this." The "Spider-Man" promotion has been in the works for more than a year and will include ad buys and ballpark events, such as giving masks to fans, said Jacqueline Parkes, baseball's senior vice president for marketing and advertising. The ads, about 4 inches long, won't appear on home plates. The announcement of the promotion, first reported Wednesday by The Wall Street Journal, comes a week after jockeys at the Kentucky Derby won the right to wear ads on their uniforms. "Spider-Man" opens June 30, and the weekend in early June was picked because it is during interleague play, which draws higher attendance than usual. "We need to reach out to a younger demographic to bring them to the ballpark," Parkes said. "They are looking for nontraditional breakthrough ways to convey 'Spider-Man' messaging. ... It's the future of how we generate excitement inside the stadium and about the game itself." Baseball will receive about $3.6 million in a deal negotiated by Major League Baseball Properties with Marvel Studios and Columbia Pictures, a division of Sony Inc., a high-ranking baseball executive said on condition of anonymity. The New York Yankees (news) and Boston Red Sox (news) will get more than $100,000 each, one team executive said, also on condition of anonymity. Most other 13 teams that are home that weekend will get about $50,000 apiece, the executive said. Parkes said the amount a team receives depends on the level of its participation. Geoffrey Ammer, president of marketing for the Columbia TriStar Motion Picture Group, was not immediately available for comment, spokesman Steve Elzer said. Ralph Nader (news - web sites), a presidential candidate and consumer advocate, criticized the deal. He wrote Tuesday to baseball commissioner Bud Selig, denouncing the decision to have ads on uniforms during the season-opening series in March between the Yankees and Tampa Bay in Tokyo. "It's gotten beyond grotesque," Nader said. "The fans have to revolt here. Otherwise, they'll be looking at advertisements between advertisements." In separate promotions, the bases also will feature pink ribbons Sunday as part of a Mother's Day promotion to raise breast-cancer awareness, and they will have blue ribbons on Father's Day, June 20, to raise prostate-cancer awareness. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CatnipOligarchy Posted May 5, 2004 Share Posted May 5, 2004 unbelievable. they cant seriously think fans will like this. ads on the walls, fine, ads on the programs, fine, ads on the scoreboard, fine. dont put that **** on the bases. pathetic how far they will go for a few extra $$$ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slyph Posted May 5, 2004 Share Posted May 5, 2004 uh yah thats pretty damn ricockulous Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steffan Posted May 5, 2004 Share Posted May 5, 2004 Why? It doesn't make sense what so ever to have Spiderman 2 on the bases. Watch the movie will suck and the hype machine will exploded because of it. also, why are the Yankees and Red Sox getting more? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bangbang023 Veteran Posted May 6, 2004 Veteran Share Posted May 6, 2004 Wow, can they ###### it up anymore? Seriously, where is their pride man? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Toxikk Veteran Posted May 6, 2004 Veteran Share Posted May 6, 2004 stuuuupid Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
.... Posted May 6, 2004 Share Posted May 6, 2004 Yet another reason why I am not liking baseball more and more.... :no: (N) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blueshirt Posted May 6, 2004 Share Posted May 6, 2004 Too much promotional sh1t. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tacheon Posted May 6, 2004 Share Posted May 6, 2004 ummm, how are people supposed to see these?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steffan Posted May 6, 2004 Share Posted May 6, 2004 ummm, how are people supposed to see these?? good question. it looks like the Yankees will use the logos in "limited basis" http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=1796247 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BroChaos Veteran Posted May 6, 2004 Veteran Share Posted May 6, 2004 yeah, i don't get how the fans are supposed to see them either. unless they are advertising to the baseball players.... what a dumb idea... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Toxikk Veteran Posted May 7, 2004 Veteran Share Posted May 7, 2004 Yet another reason why I am not liking baseball more and more.... :no: (N) yeah, atleast the nfl players decided to not allow ads on their jerseys. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
firen Posted May 7, 2004 Share Posted May 7, 2004 yeah, atleast the nfl players decided to not allow ads on their jerseys. OH that would suck Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joel Posted May 7, 2004 Share Posted May 7, 2004 ummm, how are people supposed to see these?? First thing I thought. I guess record numbers of baseball players will rush to theatres on opening day to see the movie. :p Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steffan Posted May 7, 2004 Share Posted May 7, 2004 MLB decided to cancel Spiderman 2 http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/sportsbusin...tory?id=1796765 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Toxikk Veteran Posted May 7, 2004 Veteran Share Posted May 7, 2004 yay. neowin made a difference!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bangbang023 Veteran Posted May 7, 2004 Veteran Share Posted May 7, 2004 Thank god it was changed. There is still some dignity left after all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fred Derf Veteran Posted May 7, 2004 Veteran Share Posted May 7, 2004 Ump: Yrrr OUT! Player: What, are you serious? Ump: You didn't touch Tobey. Player: Oh, I touched Tobey... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CatnipOligarchy Posted May 7, 2004 Share Posted May 7, 2004 well i'll be darned.. MLB listened to the fans for once, i never thought i'd see the day Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
imtoomuch Posted May 7, 2004 Share Posted May 7, 2004 I saw this on a different site. I guess it was only a matter of time. It sucks, but that's modern day sports for you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ivand Posted May 7, 2004 Share Posted May 7, 2004 Finally, one big money machine listening to normal people.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChicoCahill Posted May 7, 2004 Share Posted May 7, 2004 now they aren't putting the logo on the bases during the game Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BroChaos Veteran Posted May 7, 2004 Veteran Share Posted May 7, 2004 heh, pretty crazy. fans actually come before money? thats unheard of... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Allen Veteran Posted May 7, 2004 Veteran Share Posted May 7, 2004 Another source; http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=...?partner=google Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bonobozoot Posted May 7, 2004 Share Posted May 7, 2004 Ump: Yrrr OUT! Player: What, are you serious? Ump: You didn't touch Tobey. Player: Oh, I touched Tobey... LMAO :rofl: but touch Tobey where?? :shifty: :laugh: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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