It's not a TV spot or a website. Not an experiential marketing tactic or social media promotion. Not a banner ad, billboard, branded game or special product placement. Not a CRM program or integrated campaign. It's not global campaign, it's a one-off execution.
And it's just a newspaper ad. A black and white newspaper ad. From former Toronto Blue Jay, Roy Halladay.
Halladay was recently traded to the Philadelphia Philly's. He'd been the face of the (struggling) Blue Jays for years and always gave fans a steadfast hope that anything was possible. A true class act and champion.
To truly express his feelings, he ran this ad in the Toronto Star today:
The full copy reads:
"My wife Brandy, sons Braden and Ryan, and I would like to express our deepest gratitude to the Toronto Blue Jays organization, its incredible fans, and the city of Toronto.
I feel blessed to have been part of the Blue Jays since 1995 and am extremely thankful for the opportunities it has provided. Throughout the past 15 years, there have been so many people within the organization that have made a wonderful and significant impact in my life, it would be impossible to name them all.
I am sincerely grateful for the incredible support and compassion the Blue Jays fans have shown me. I am in awe of your overwhelming passion and devotion.
Toronto will forever have a special place in my heart.
The memories will last a lifetime and so will my gratitude.
Best Regards,
Roy"
A class act rarely seen in today's sports world. For a guy who has made millions and has been consistently one of the greatest pitchers in the game but has never won a championship, he never had to do something like this. It's not the $50K he spent on media to make this happen, it's the thought that he wanted to do it in the first place.
Great brand management? For sure. But I get the sense that he did this for us - the fans - more than he did for himself. After all, we would have loved him no matter what. This just makes him that much better.
Nice work, Doc.
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here. Image
credit.
