It’s the ballplayers who are in the spotlight during the baseball All-Star Game and related activities, but T-Mobile US is doing its best to garner a share of the attention in its first season as an official partner of MLB.

The telecommunications firm has enacted a multimedia campaign and is putting its brand in this year’s All-Star-related high-traffic and high-profile events. The strategy in part supports its new phone upgrade plan, Jump, which allows “consumers to upgrade their phones when they want, up to twice per year as soon as six months from enrollment.”

T-Mobile, which is title sponsor of the MLB All-Star Fanfest at Jacob K. Javits Convention Center, will air TV spots starring comedian Bill Hader during the Chevrolet Home Run Derby on ESPN on Monday night (July 15), and during pre-game programming and the All-Star Game on Fox on Tuesday (July 16).

Yet another spot, starring Adrian Gonzalez of the Los Angeles Dodgers, highlights a new T-Mobile plan that “gives all families access to a great multi-line deal with no credit check.” T-Mobile MLB spokesmen also include Bryce Harper (Washington Nationals), Andrew McCutchen (Pittsburgh Pirates) and Matt Kemp (a teammate of Gonzalez on the Dodgers).

The Jump strategy is hitting All-Star Game broadcasts via several spots, all of which show why the T-Moble plan is better than plans from other phone companies that don’t let you upgrade even if your cell phone battery constantly dies, or your phone is outdated soon after you bring it home, or your phone is ruined when you drop it in the toilet. The spots come with the Jump offer, “Now you can upgrade when you want, not when you’re told.”

Marketing support includes ESPN.com and MLB.com, as well as such social media destinations as Facebook, Twitter, Foursquare and YouTube. During the All-Star Game at Citi Field in New York, the company will give away 30 smartphones as part of its “Jump Instant Row Upgrade,” complete with one year of free unlimited service.

According to Mike Sievert, CMO for T-Mobile, “All-Star Week is one of the premier events in sports, and we couldn’t think of a better platform for reaching out to consumers to talk about a totally new approach to mobile phone upgrades. You are going to hear a lot from us about Jump in the coming week, and you’re going to love what you hear.”

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