- Booking.com has kicked off a new campaign that pokes fun at baseball rivalries as part of its partnership with Major League Baseball (MLB).
- The spots try to convince baseball fans that they can enjoy a hotel stay in their rival team’s cities.
- The integrated campaign was created with creative agency Zulu Alpha Kilo NY, and agency partners Wasserman, Vayner and Mindshare. It kicks off on July 16th, in time for the MLB All-Star series, and will run through the season.
Booking.com is in the second year of its five-year partnership with MLB. The travel site is using the partnership to be more nuanced about marketing. Rather than just promoting themselves as sources to book a vacation, the company is promoting itself as the go-to site for baseball fans to make hotel reservations when traveling to see their favorite team.
Last year, the site encouraged fans to play ball in more places and book like an MVP. The new effort was created based on the insight that friendly baseball rivalry lets fans bond over regional pride, which also influences curiosity for fans that want to see new places. Showing Yankees fans enjoying Boston or Cardinals fans enjoying Chicago plays up the rivalries, while showing off the accommodations.
Other travel sites have found benefits in targeting consumers based on passion points and fandom. Expedia examined the large concert tours of 2024 and created marketing around the cities with major arenas and music venues, pointing out affordable destinations with hotel rooms that might be cheaper than concert tickets.
