LOS ANGELES — Major League Baseball recently called on Oishii Creative (www.oishiicreative.com) to produce a graphics toolkit for its 2016 Postseason promotional campaign. Using the track “Unstoppable” from multi-platinum artist/songwriter Sia, Oishii worked to bring the fans onto the field to experience the postseason from the players’ perspective.
Produced by MLB Network, the campaign features key moments from game footage juxtaposed against macro elements of America’s national pastime. “We wanted to capture the moments - those split seconds - that could decide whether a club’s season is over or it’s moving another step toward the World Series,” explains Oishii chief creative officer Ismael Obregon.
Imagery includes flying grass as outfielders race to catch long balls, catchers closing their mitts around the last strike of an inning, and hands swiping across home plate to steal the winning run. Together, they form the foundation of a photographic library. Overlaying phrases include “Uncommon,” “Unexpected,” “Unforgettable” and “Unbelievable,” all emphasizing the players’ on-field heroics.
“We went for a cinematic, big and bold approach that would not only resonate with audiences, but also let them experience the game from the POV of the player on the field,” notes Obregon. “Working with MLB and MLB Network was fantastic.”
Oishii Creative shot the macro elements on the Phantom camera at ultra-high frame rates, which allowed them to capture the slowest of motion without sacrificing resolution. All of the elements, while stylized, are unmistakably and authentically Major League Baseball. The low lighting and macro shots provided the perfect backplates for typographical elements, which are based on the “Unstoppable” concept inspired by Sia’s hit song. The typography and logos were then treated to visually connect with the explosive grittiness of the baseball highlights. Adobe Premiere was used for the edit, along with After Effects.
Oishii used all of these assets to develop a flexible promo toolkit that allows MLB to make on-the-fly promo updates and adjustments to keep them fresh and impactful in the buildup to the World Series. MLB is rolling out 10 team-specific spots for those that make it into the postseason, and nightly tune-ins through October, as well as hundreds of versions to be played across MLB’s TV partners.