Promo Spotlight 7/25–7/31

By Meaghan McCloskey, @Meaghan_Mc3

I’ve always been intrigued by the promotional and giveaway side of sports. It’s fun to look at the different promotions and think about the ‘how’s’ and ‘why’s’ that went into the planning. Some are more traditional and mellow, like a bobblehead, while others are more out of the box, like the Lakewood BlueClaws “Caturday” promotion. Each week, I’ll share with you some of my favorite promotions that happened the previous week around the sports world.

Cubs Misting Fan- Cubs, 7/30: The Cubs helped fans stay cool on Saturday by giving away misting fans to the first 10,000 people through the gates. It’s difficult to cool off when sitting at an outdoor baseball game for three-plus hours, but the Cubs found a great solution. This also takes me back to my childhood, as misting fans were very popular in the late-90s and early 2000s.

Umbrella Hat- Angels, 7/31: In another effort to help keep fans cooled off at games, the Angels gave away this awesome umbrella hat. It’s one of the quirkier giveaways out there, but I’m sure it was nice to have for this Sunday afternoon game. Here’s a video of some Angels players modeling the headwear:

.@TylerSkaggs37 is BACK & lookin' better than ever… you too @MikeTrout

Umbrella Hat 7/31: https://t.co/GMzh6cVm2Jhttps://t.co/sckQkcU4Lp

— Los Angeles Angels (@Angels) July 26, 2016

Sano Globe- Twins, 7/30: If there’s a pun in the name, there is a 100 percent chance it will be featured. This Miguel Sano Globe is no different. It’s a great year-round decoration that will help fans ‘think cool thoughts’ during the summer while also getting them excited for baseball during the winter.

Build-a-Papi- Red Sox, 7/26: There have been a lot of tributes to David Ortiz during his final season in baseball, but this one is probably my favorite. The Red Sox did a great job providing a unique and interactive giveaway to honor their long-time slugger. Equipped with a gold chain, beard and sunglasses, fans were able to transform into the legendary Big Papi Tuesday night at Fenway. Based on these pictures, fans seemed to enjoy themselves. Mike Trout and the Angels even got in on the action two days later during the opening game of their weekend series with the Sox in LA.

The Build-A-Papi kit is taking over #MyFenway! 👍 pic.twitter.com/juTLWMqu7T

— Red Sox (@RedSox) July 26, 2016

Let's be honest, we all want to be Papi! So make sure you're at Build-A-Papi Night: https://t.co/O73ZDwlmWn pic.twitter.com/IXuues7vFr

— Red Sox (@RedSox) July 26, 2016

Wilmer Flores “Tears to Cheers” Double-Sided Bobblehead- Brooklyn Cyclones, 7/31: Baseball is weird and the story behind this bobblehead is one that lives up to that standard. If you aren’t familiar with Wilmer Flores, at last year’s trade deadline, he started crying mid-game because he heard that he had been traded from the Mets to the Brewers. The only thing was that he was never actually traded. Two nights later, he hit a walk-off home run for the Mets that capped a wild 48 hours for him. Now, he’s getting a double-sided bobblehead. The Mets Single-A affiliate Brooklyn Cyclones are giving away this commemorative bobblehead that shows the emotional highs and lows Flores experienced. The Cyclones have done a fantastic job producing a giveaway that is unique to the Mets organization and one of their former players.

Sunday, we celebrate the 1 year Anniversary of Wilmer's unforgettable home run with the Tears to Cheers Bobblehead. pic.twitter.com/phN1RtQ782

— Brooklyn Cyclones (@BKCyclones) July 28, 2016