Contraction be damned! Even though the lords of Major League Baseball seem intent on eliminating the Minnesota Twins—for dubious reasons—the team still has a lot of life and competitive fire, as evidenced in the American League Central standings, and in its ad campaign, out of Minneapolis agency Hunt Adkins.
Actually, the marketing quandary is quite profound. Fans know it’s at least possible that their beloved Twins could be playing their final year in town—or for that matter, anywhere, if Major League Baseball commissioner Bud Selig has his way. So how does Hunt Adkins go about generating interest in—and attendance for—the current season?
The answer lies in tongue-in-cheek humor—and in almost defiantly directing the Minnesota populace to "get to know" their Twins players, as if they’re going to be around for a while, never mind the politics and machinations of Major League Baseball.
Through clever use of stock footage and still photography, a four-spot campaign was fashioned, with "Koskie" perhaps offering the most offbeat profile of a Twins star. The commercial opens with sports footage of Twins third baseman Corey Koskie running the bases against the backdrop of an unfurled Canadian flag.
An exuberant Movietone Newsreel-style voiceover starts to paint a picture that provides a personal look at Koskie. "Hailing from the frontiers of Canada, burly Twins third baseman Corey Koskie racked up over 100 RBI last year," beams the voiceover, extolling Koskie’s virtues on the diamond. We see his exploits in the field—as he uncorks a strong throw across the diamond—and at the plate, as game footage shows his sweet swing.
An abrupt transition in scene then flies us over mountainous terrain. The voiceover continues, "Rugged and untamed, he lives in the wilderness in the off season, where he carves his possessions out of wood, even his mattress." All the while, we watch a cutout of Koskie’s head, as his facial hair steadily grows—to the point where his beard is reminiscent of Grizzly Adams or an unkempt lumberjack.
Next up is a still photo of Koskie in fielding position, standing in the rugged outdoors and decked out in his Twins uniform. Concentric curved lines—radar waves?—pulse from his forehead. This strange sight is put into context by our trusty voiceover, which tells us of Koskie’s "uncanny ability to communicate with animals." Stock footage of a bear, a mountain lion and a moose show these beasts seemingly responsive to Koskie’s other-worldly powers.
"Corey Koskie—a force of nature," declares the voiceover, as we see against a red-orange sky the silhouettes of the third baseman and two bears, on a mountaintop.
The voiceover concludes, "The Minnesota Twins: Get to know ’em." The same directive surrounds the Twins’ team logo, accompanied by the club’s Web site address.
The creative ensemble at Hunt Adkins consisted of creative director Doug Adkins, creative director/art director Steve Mitchell, art director Luke Oeth, copywriter Rob Franks and producer Jen Kreilich.
Manipulating the stock footage, stills and effects was a contingent from editorial/post/visual effects house Hi-Wire, Minneapolis. The Hi-Wire team included creative editor/Fire artist Tony Mills, colorist Oscar Oboza, Fire assistant Brian Wagner and project manager Tammy Kimbler Weber.
Sound designer/audio mixer was Ken Brahmstedt of Brahmstedt White Noise, Minneapolis, which is a division of Hi-Wire. Music composers were Steve Kramer and Jim Weber of Hest & Kramer, Minneapolis. Bob Hest executive produced for Hest & Kramer.
