Next, there are traditions handed down through multiple generations of family or groups of friends during the 162-game seasons, which are the longest of any sport. Then there’s the dynamic nature of the game that shifts from leisurely breaks in the action to pivotal points of dramatic tension—like Shohei Ohtani striking out his Los Angeles Angels teammate Mike Trout to secure Japan’s World Baseball Classic win over the United States.

“There’s no experience quite like baseball: It has endless stories, lore and larger-than-life characters,” Josh Bogdan, creative director at Wieden+Kennedy Portland, told Adweek. “You don’t need to create fake narratives to get new fans interested. We just let the game, with all of its quirks, speak for itself.”

Bringing it home

MLB and W+K cover all of that ground in their 60-second “Overture” spot—and include all 30 of the league’s clubs in the process—but don’t address a fourth element of “purposeful” behind-the-scenes planning in earlier spots surrounding the league’s rule changes.

The league has been testing new rules for pitch timing, defensive shift limits and bigger bases in the minor leagues for the better part of a decade, and implemented those changes in spring training this year. Timpone made clear that they’ll be a big part of the league’s messaging this year, especially with spring training games averaging 26 minutes shorter than last year’s contests.

In the meantime, the “Baseball Is Something Else” campaign is going incredibly broad. The spots are featured across broadcast, cable, digital media, in the ballparks and Times Square. There will also be print, out-of-home and experiential elements expanding on some of the themes.

Whether it’s the “62” ad blending Aaron Judge and Roger Maris’ stats, or eerily similar dates or the “Hot Dogs” spot combining Humphrey Bogart’s comparison of ballpark franks to “roast beef at the Ritz” and 2 Chainz’s “I’m Different” over images of cereal-topped dogs, the campaign seeks to close baseball’s age gap by highlighting its most inclusive elements.

“We’re thinking about it in a larger, more welcoming, magnanimous way,” Timpone said. “It fits really well, because our goals and aspirations are to welcome more fans in.”