In baseball there are the obvious strikes (think swing and miss) and the called strikes which are subject to the home plate umpire’s interpretation of the strike zone that game or inning. This Video Critique article (Chevrolet Impala Strikes Out With Baseball Analogy) fits into the latter category for it very much is a matter of opinion.
The author took issue with the 2014 Chevy Impala tie-in with a video about how baseballs are built and have a short life (Rawlings Baseballs: Discover the Craft | Chevrolet).
The “Impala: A testament to craft in all forms,” statement segueing into the Rawlings baseball piece perturbed him. He noted:
“…as part of its attempt to restore cachet to the Impala brand, Chevrolet has chosen to liken it to a baseball. One is a $28,000 car. The other is a baseball.”
Put in this context, the positioning is rather questionable. Perhaps some background would help.
To start, merely two years ago, Major League Baseball Properties (MLBP) and Chevrolet, a division of General Motors Corporation (NYSE:GM), announced a five year extension of their sponsorship agreement, maintaining Chevrolet as the “Official Vehicle of Major League Baseball,” a designation it has held since 2005.
This multi-year agreement means Chevrolet has exclusive category rights, will remain the presenting sponsor of three of baseball’s most prestigious awards (the Roberto Clemente Award, the Ted Williams All-Star Game Most Valuable Player Award and the World Series Most Valuable Player Award). Chevrolet will also continue to serve as presenting sponsor of the annual All-Star Red Carpet Show, which takes place prior to the All-Star Game.
Knowing that Chevrolet and MLB are joined at the hip makes this association seem less strange. Heck, most of the time on YouTube we are assaulted with pre-roll that is unrelated to the content that follows. There wasn’t a purposeful connection to be made between the mini-documentary and Impala. It just happens to be the vehicle Chevy is presently promoting. It could have been for the Silverado truck. A new ad broke on Independence Day.
My issue with the Rawlings piece had to do with the call to action provided at the end of the video: Go to chevybaseball.com.
I really thought there would be more cool baseball-related videos. Instead, I was re-directed to a MLB page that promoted the Diamonds & Dreams program .
That to me was a non-sequitur.
“Chevrolet is committed to making old ballparks new again so youth get the chance to practice the great game of baseball and create new memories in a safe environment. Enter now and you could win a field makeover and $2,500 for new baseball equipment for your community. And for giving back, you’ll also get the chance to win an all-new, impeccably crafted 2014 Impala for yourself.”
The common denominator is the Impala. You can win one. O-k-a-y…
And if I don’t win, what are you going to do with the entry information? That’s right, this isn’t merely a philanthropic activity. Chevy and MLB are looking for leads.
Which is fine. Companies do that. I just don’t like the route they took. I felt a bit like Wile Coyote hitting a cliff.
Circling back around… The author of the piece said, “I spent my holiday week shopping for meat and munitions and rummaging through the brand-video closet of what, to me, remains the quintessentially American brand, Chevrolet.” That’s what got him on the baseball / Impala path.
I think the new Silverado “Strong” ad seemed more “American.” You can check it out below the baseball clip.
Oh — and in case you were wondering, this story ran in the same pre-holiday timeframe:
Check out the list! See anything missing?
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The Rawlings piece:
Here’s Chevy’s latest Silverado ad (“Strong”):
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