Taking Boston Red Sox fandom to new heights
As MassMutual stepped into the Major League with a 10-year, $170+ million partnership with the Boston Red Sox they needed help making their first at bat a can’t miss fan experience. We created a sky-high game day activation (read: drone show) to celebrate the beginning of this exciting partnership and solidify MassMutual as a true patriot of Boston Nation..
The results: The show was visible from all across the city, including Toomey Park, Hatch Memorial Shell, and The Esplanade. Clients were stoked, and we got fans talking: They were posting about it all over social.
How we got there
This was an audience challenge through and through. Sox fans are tricky—and their fandom runs deep. They’re quick to sniff out bullsh*t and brand flexes that don’t add to the rich culture at Fenway. They hold their fandom sacred, and we were stepping into their territory. We needed to start Bleeding Red so we and MassMutual could show Boston that even though their name hadn’t been on the outfield wall, MassMutual has been in the stands the whole time. So why drones? Well, we had three jobs to do:
Communicate MM’s fandom simply (Show that we belong but don’t over-explain. We’re here and we’ve been here. Period.)
Create buzz and be stunty: this was about capturing attention and planting a flag for MassMutual.
Turn heads with something visually arresting: Ultimately we needed to create a beacon for fans that introduces the partnership not a traditional on the ground experience.
Enter: A drone show celebrating 121 years of Red Sox symbols—from Lefty & Righty to the insignia to Wally—before introducing MassMutual. This partnership represented two iconic brands coming together. We signified that moment and demonstrated MM’s fandom by celebrating the franchise icons that fans care about most.