The Brief:
Oishii Creative Teams Up With Major League Baseball For 'The Pennant Chase'
Major League Baseball (MLB) recently called on creative solutions company Oishii Creative to produce a graphics toolkit for its 2016 Postseason promotional campaign.
Using the powerful track 'Unstoppable' from multi-platinum artist and songwriter Sia, Oishii wanted to bring the fans onto the field to experience the Postseason from the players’ perspective. Produced by MLB Network, the campaign features key moments from game footage juxtaposed against macro elements of America’s national pastime.
“We wanted to capture the moments — those split seconds — that could decide whether a club’s season is over or it’s moving another step toward the World Series,” explains Chief Creative Officer Ismael Obregon, Oishii Creative.
Images of flying grass as outfielders race to make the deep-field out, catchers closing their mitts around the last strike of an inning, and hands swiping across home plate to steal the winning run form the foundation of a photographic library meant to bring fans closer to the game. Overlaying driving phrases like “Uncommon,” “Unexpected,” “Unforgettable” and “Unbelievable” emphasise the on-field heroics of big leaguers.
For Oishii Creative, the project was an opportunity to bring together its expertise in sports branding, live-action and design.
“We went for a cinematic, big and bold approach that would not only resonate with audiences, but also let them experience the game from the POV of the player on the field,” remarks Obregon. “Working with MLB and MLB Network was fantastic.”
Oishii Creative shot the macro elements on the Phantom camera at ultra-high frame rates, which allowed them to capture the slowest of motion without sacrificing resolution. All of the elements, while stylised, are unmistakably and authentically Major League Baseball. The low lighting and macro shots provided the perfect backplates for typographical elements, which are based on the “Unstoppable” concept inspired by Sia’s hit song. The typography and logos were then treated to visually connect with the explosive grittiness of the baseball highlights. via: Little Black Book
The Ads:
The Credits:
VP OF MARKETING: MLB Network VP, On-Air Promotion & Marketing: Steve Miller
SENIOR DIRECTOR: MLB Network Senior Director, On-Air Promotion: Christopher Impomeni
PRODUCER: MLB Network Producer: Barry Fitzsimmons
HEAD OF MARKETING, CONTENT AND DIGITAL: MLB Network SVP, Marketing & On-Air Promotion: Mary Beck
ADVERTISER: MLB
ANIMATION
DESIGNER: Oishii Creative
CREATIVE AGENCY
DESIGN DIRECTOR: MLB Network Senior Design Director: Jeff Clark
BRAND DIRECTOR: MLB Director, Brand Advertising & Marketing: Lance Gitlin
OFFLINE
EDITOR: MLB Network Editor: Sean Sohl
PRODUCTION COMPANY
PRODUCTION COMPANY: Oishii Creative