The World Champion Kansas City Royals are excited to announce the campaign for the 2016 season as "Forever Royal." Continuing the tagline from the successful 2015 season, this year's campaign will have an updated approach.
"Last season, the team and the fans showed us what it means to be Forever Royal," said Michael Bucek, Royals Vice President-Marketing and Business Development. "The players excelled. Fans packed the ballpark. TV ratings skyrocketed. Social media exploded with great stories about our players and fans. Forever Royal was more than just a tagline, it became our fans' statement representing their devotion to this team."
Partnering with the Royals on this year's campaign is ad agency Walz Tetrick, now in their fourth year supporting the Royals. "This team has been an inspiration to us all," added WTA president Charlie Tetrick. "On the field, they never gave up, never settled for one base when they could get two. Off the field, they stayed loose and interacted with the fans. Suddenly, there's a whole new generation of Forever Royal fans."
Walz Tetrick creative director Jeff Chase says the new campaign offers a new look, feel and sound. "If you thought we were Forever Royal last year, wait until you see what happens this year. Our Royal family is bigger, stronger, closer than ever before. We're united by memories and optimistic about the future. And we want the advertising to reflect that."
To launch the campaign, the Royals and Walz Tetrick revealed a spectacular outdoor billboard that celebrates the team's World Series Championship win in a big way. This year's board features Salvador Perez wielding a gigantic, 3-dimensional orange cooler. The World Series MVP appears to drench the city with Gatorade^® and ice. "We wanted to show our fans how important they were - and are - to the Royals' success," said Bucek. "Every fan deserves a Salvy Splash."
The billboard can be viewed on southbound Southwest Trafficway at Westport Road. Fans are also invited to park in the Westport area and walk to the billboard location where they can pose for a selfie. The Royals will award one World Series Prize Pack per week for the best photo posted on Twitter or Instagram using the #SalvySplash hashtag.
This is the fourth straight year the Royals have launched the advertising campaign with innovative and award-winning billboards. In 2013, there were two boards on opposite sides of I-35. On one board, James Shields was finishing his pitching delivery. On the other board, Perez awaited the board-ripping pitch. In 2014, Alex Gordon was seen sliding head first into second base, tearing the billboard vinyl off the structure as he slid. Last season's board featured the fleet feet of Jarrod Dyson as he burned the basepath - and the billboard itself - on his way to second base.
The Forever Royal campaign will be seen throughout the preseason and regular season in TV and radio ads, outdoor boards, newspaper ads, online banners and social media. The crown in the new Forever Royal logo has stars rather than the round jewels, as a nod to a special design created for the Royals in the 2012 All-Star Game that was played in Kansas City.
Season tickets are currently on sale and available online at royals.com, by phone at 816-504-4040 or at the Kauffman Stadium Box Office.