Home Run Derby X: The Cage

Client: Major League Baseball

MLB needed to find a way of engaging UK sports fans with no prior knowledge of, or passion for Baseball. With the London Series in town, our strategy centred around celebrating the two iconic city cultures - St Louis and Chicago - in a way only MLB can.

MLB London Series Trafalgar Square Takeover was a 3 day festival, representing the next iteration of a long-standing collaboration between Imagination and MLB, collectively striving to push the boundaries of fan engagement. At the core of the experience was The Cage. The dimension-defying baseball game that seamlessly blended reality and virtual gameplay. Using the latest ball-tracking technology, players smashed physical baseballs that were then digitally visualised soaring over Nelson’s Column and London’s skyline, all within an epic cage structure in the middle of the festival. The hit data was taken into the virtual field of play, unlocking dynamic ball by ball reactions. The Cage served as a dynamic stage for teams featuring MLB players, superstars and big-hitters to engage in head-to-head battles, and provided a live, high-energy experience for fans. Leaning in heavily to the Route 66 Chicago VS St Louis rivalry, to shape the festival. We split the event into two distinctive sides with bold branding, original Cubs-Cardinals merchandise and ballpark-inspired food from each city, creating a playground for cultural collaborations. With action from the Home Run Derby X The Cage final live-stream, fan engagement was amplified globally and delivered on the hype generated by the MLB London Series Takeover campaign.