Reigning MLB Most Valuable Player gets pranked by Hall Of Famer Greg Maddux in a Red Bull stunt that leverages the start of baseball Spring Training and its endorser deal with the Chicago Cubs third baseman.
Four-time Cy Young Award winning pitcher Maddux catches the 2016 World Series winner off guard as he steps out for his first pre-season batting practice session.
Complete with bushy beard and boom stick microphone, the pitching legend disguises himself as a film crew sound guy for a video team supposedly shooting a Red Bull backed baseball workout video starring the 25-year-old Bryant.
When the pitching coach (College of Southern Nevada Assistant Baseball Coach Sean Larrimer) has to duck out, the Sound Guy offers to stand in and throw some pitches to Bryant in the batting cage.
The stunt spot was first posted on Red Bulll’s YouTube channel on 16 February
and was amplified across its other social channels – including Facebook.
These campaign content pieces aim to drive viewers online to see the full story on the brand’s site at http://win.gs/MadduxPrank and its Red Bull web TV channel at http://win.gs/WatchRBTV where they can further explore the world of Red Bull’s branded and owned entertainment offering which spans ‘high stoke factor’ stunts, action sports clips, original series and live streams.
Shot on the main field at the College of Southern Nevada just before Bryant left home and his holidays behind to join the Cubs at Spring Training.
The link between the two players extends beyond both playing for the Cubs, as both are also natives of Las Vegas, Nevada.
Maddux is a 1984 graduate of Valley High School, while Bryant attended Bonanza High School – both in Las Vegas.
The spot features a nice bit of natural back and forth banter between Maddux and Bryant.
‘Don’t hit me,’ starts Bryant as the disguised Maddux prepares to toss hius first pitch.
‘Even if I hit you, it won’t hurt,’ replies Sound Guy Maddux.
‘Not too bad actually. He might be better than the other guy. I seriously doubted you. He’s throwing curveballs! OK, I’m going to take it seriously,’ comments Bryant after the first few pitches.
At the end of the session the Sound Guys asks Bryant ‘Can you autograph a bat for me? Just make it out to Greg Maddux.’
‘Last year, I pranked the college team in Arizona,’ said Bryant aftger Maddux had removed his disguise. ‘This year, the tables are turned.’
Maddux, an eight-time All-Star and an 18-time Golden Glove winner with 355 career wins, began his career with the Chicago Cubs and since retirement now works as an assistant baseball coach for UNLV.
Activative Comment:
With around 5m YouTube views to date, this initiative suggests that Bryant is now genuinely becoming one of MLB’s elite super stars.
This campaign follows Red Bull’s first Chris Bryant fronted campaign in 2015 which was a goat-led ‘Down On The Farm’ ad referencing the long-running Chicago Cubs curse off the Billy Goat – which Bryant and his team mates helped end after 100 years with their 2016 MLB World Series win (see case study).
But this particular viral prank more closely resembles another Red Bull campaign revolving around Bryant from March 2016 called ‘The Transfer’: which saw Bryant himself prank an unsuspecting Mesa College baseball team into thinking he’s a new young hotshot student joining their program.
Links:
Red Bull
http://win.gs/WatchRBTV
http://goo.gl/J49U
http://win.gs/redbullfb
http://win.gs/redbulltwitter
http://win.gs/SubToRedBull
http://win.gs/TheRedBulletin
http://win.gs/RedBullNewsletter
http://www.redbull.com/us/en/stories/1331845113178/kris-bryant-pranked-by-greg-maddux?cmpid=rbfbnv
