Situation

Sports, and in particular baseball, have always been a way to bring people together. They give us something to root for. They give us a place to escape to. They give us a few hours in which miracles can truly happen. But during the Covid pandemic and the subsequent cancellation of professional sports, fans across the world were left with a void that needed to be filled.

Brief

How can Bank of America leverage its sponsorship of Major League Baseball to help bring America together and help those in need during the pandemic?

Objectives

-Support the children, families and communities hit hardest by the “double pandemic” of a global health crisis and social injustice

-Leverage partnership for awareness and brand building

As one of the first professional team sports to return to play during the pandemic, the 2020 Major League Baseball season took on even more significance because it gave its fans hope that we were on our way to recovery. This symbolic moment was also indicative of a literal baseball moment—the rally—in which a team could overcome the odds to come back and win the game.

Our idea was simple: own the rally. We wanted to become the first brand to use this in-game moment as a way to help bring the nation together. We launched Let’s Rally as a nod to the resolve for both baseball and the nation to stage a comeback.

One of the most unforgettable moments for any fan is when a team rallies from behind to win. That’s why our strategy was to leverage the in-game Rally moment as a trigger for good.

During the 2020 MLB season, each time an MLB team rallied from behind to win in a late inning, Bank of America donated $10,000 to Boys & Girls Clubs of America.

Next, Bank of America used its partnership with players to make an impact off the field in two distinct ways. First, the players pitched in and designed custom tee shirts. Proceeds went to Boys & Girls Clubs of America and we leveraged players’ social feeds along with CRM and online video and advertising to build awareness and drive sales.

And when fans needed to talk about the social injustices that were happening outside of the lines, Bank of America teamed up with players, ESPN and Boys & Girls Clubs of America with a virtual event on Twitter that aired on August 28 – Jackie Robinson Day – to explore the intersections of sports, race, and culture.

Through the campaign, Bank of America delivered on its goals for the community and its brand by raising over $600k in donations for Boys and Boys Clubs of America. The courageous conversation virtual event reached 46% of American Twitter users and had 735k views of the conversation in a matter of days. By highlighting issues that matter and giving back to the community, Bank of America through the MLB campaign extended its reach and amplified their broader commitment to strengthening the communities they're in. With a +37% increase in brand favorability among clients who were exposed to consumer offers tied to our MLB campaign along with over +647,000,000 total campaign impressions, Bank of America achieved a deeper affinity with its clients and baseball fans.