MLB launches new campaign showcasing young stars titled "I Play"

Major League Baseball today launched a new marketing campaign titled "I Play" to coincide with Opening Day. The campaign, created by Hill Holliday, showcases the intensity and passion of baseball’s young stars, illustrating what drives them to succeed and highlighting their desire to lead their team to the Postseason.  Spots began airing this weekend on ESPN and MLB Network and will also air on FOX and TBS throughout the season, along with digital and social media extensions on MLB.com and MLBFanCave.com.  The Opening Day spot features Robinson Cano, Carlos Gonzalez, Bryce Harper, Adam Jones, Andrew McCutchen, Buster Posey, David Price, Mike Trout, Justin Verlander and David Wright. 

The first individual spots feature Cano (in Spanish, set to run on ESPN Deportes and FOX Sports en Espanol), Harper and McCutchen.  In each spot, the camera isolates on the player’s face as his inner monologue provides a glimpse into reasons why each of them play at such a high level to reach their goal of playing in October. Spots featuring Price and Trout will debut later this week, with additional player-specific creative featuring some of the game’s top young talent rolling out throughout the season.

“The desire to play in October drives every player to push himself and his team to new heights, and this new campaign captures and showcases that desire in a compelling new way,” said Tim Brosnan, Executive Vice President, Business, Major League Baseball. “These spots also illustrate the intense passion our young stars have for the game and the connection they feel to the cities they play in and the fans they play for.”

"I am thrilled to be a part of Major League Baseball’s Opening Day campaign,” said Pirates outfielder Andrew McCutchen.  “As a player, as soon as the final pitch of the previous season is thrown, I am marking off the days until Opening Day on my calendar. Every time you walk into a ballpark on Opening Day, it feels like the first time you ever stepped onto that field. This campaign will really give everyone a sense of the excitement we as players feel."

On social media, a companion campaign has launched supported by all MLB, Club and MLB Fan Cave social media channels, targeting fans who play or have played baseball or softball.  Fans are encouraged to share photos and videos on social media along with the hashtag #IPlay, demonstrating as creatively as possible what they play for. The most creative user-submitted stories will be showcased on MLBFanCave.com, which is powered by MLB.com.