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Ads on Wrigley's ivy walls...What's next? Crest Whitening Strips on the Mona Lisa?
February 16, 2007

Can it be true? Can they be tinkering with perfection? Is nothing sacred? Is advertising really joining the ivy covered walls of Wrigley Field? This week, it was announced that Under Armour will be the first company to advertise on the outfield walls of Wrigley Field...to a baseball fan, that’s like advertising on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. I wish it had been a company other than Under Armour...because I love their products and now I may have to boycott them. It will be interesting to see how this plays out...it is arguably either a brilliant advertising and public relations move, much more impactful than a typical sports marketing deal...or it will be a public relations disaster if other psychotically passionate Chicago Cub and Wrigley Field fans like me get up in arms over this...at a minimum people are talking about it, so as sad as I am to admit it, it’s probably a really smart and creative decision for them.

Yes, I know I should be focused on “important” things like Iraq, world peace and global health, but if you’ve ever been to Wrigley Field, you would know it’s more than a baseball field...it’s a piece of history, it’s a part of Americana...it is snapshot of a different time in our history...to put it simply it’s a work of art...sit in Wrigley Field on a sunny day in July, have a hot dog and watch the Cubs play (most likely the Cubs will already be 20 games out of first)...it’s like taking a step back in time, it’s close to perfection...if anyone understands and appreciates good marketing, it’s me...but some things just need to be left alone...sometimes perfection has to be more important than a few extra dollars.

Posted by Michael Kempner at February 16, 2007 10:55 AM