Old (well, not really so old) hero Dave Roberts will be at Fenway today!  And weather permitting, he will be throwing out the Ceremonial First Pitch for tonight’s game!!!  How long do you think the standing ovation will last?  I’m interested to hear your guesses…

Anyhow, here’s the official team release announcing his involvement tonight as part of our new Memorable Moments campaign…

 

For Immediate Release

April 21, 2009

 

BOSTON RED SOX TO DEBUT “MOMENTS” CAMPAIGN WITH DAVE ROBERTS’ “THE STEAL”

Fans invited to go to www.redsoxnation.com to vote on their favorite Red Sox moment – top fan vote getter will be made into a commercial

 

BOSTON (April 21, 2009) – The Boston Red Sox, in collaboration with Boston-based Conover Tuttle Pace, have created the “Moments” campaign that will debut during tonight’s game with the Minnesota Twins on NESN.  The multiplatform campaign includes television ads, online content, and fan-voting, and will celebrate some of the most amazing moments in Red Sox history both on and off the field.  

 

The campaign will invite Red Sox fans to go to www.redsoxnation.com and vote through May 27 on one of nine defining moments in “Our Nation’s History” – Red Sox Nation.  The top vote getter, based on fan voting, will be made into a “Moments” commercial that will debut on Red Sox Nation Day, June 16.

 

To celebrate the debut and formally kickoff the “Moments” campaign, former Red Sox outfielder Dave Roberts will be honored, weather permitting, during tonight’s pre-game ceremony when the spot will be played on the Fenway Park videoboard.  Roberts will also throw out a Ceremonial First Pitch.

 

The campaign will launch with what is considered one of the most memorable and defining plays in Red Sox history – Dave Roberts’ “The Steal” in the 9^th inning of Game 4 of the 2004 ALCS against the New York Yankees. The ad is a collection of Boston fans, manager Terry Francona, Celtics forward Paul Pierce, journalist Mike Barnicle, the Dropkick Murphy’s, and Harvard Law School’s Charles Ogletree talking about their feelings before and after “The Steal.” Footage of the moment includes the reactions of Yankees pitcher Mariano Rivera and Catcher Jorge Posada.

 

“The ‘Moments’ campaign allows us to engage our fans beyond the game, encouraging them to enjoy the ads and go online to cast a vote for their top choice.   Knowing that we have the most passionate fans in all of sports, we anticipate the selection process will spur healthy and spirited debate throughout Red Sox Nation,” said Sam Kennedy, Red Sox Chief Sales and Marketing Officer.  “We will also make unique web content available especially for Red Sox Nation citizens, and hope this will continue to expand and highlight the benefits of the fan program.”

 

Working in partnership with Red Sox Productions, CTP has created four additional spots as part of the “Moments” campaign that will air on NESN telecasts during the voting period.  The spots will feature Joe Torre, Bobby Orr, Lenny Clarke, Dennis Leary, Jim Rice, Luis Tiant, Dwight Evans, and a number of other celebrities.

 

“The Red Sox have so many great moments in their history, the process of narrowing it down to nine additional moments was excruciating, but we had several factors that posed challenges and limitations.  We needed footage of the Moment to produce the spot and to post online for Red Sox fans to view and vote – that basically eliminated some moments from consideration,” said Grant Pace, Executive Creative Director, Conover Tuttle Pace. “I’m sure there will be fans that think there should be other Red Sox Moments that should have made the cut and that’s why we are encouraging them to vote and share their thoughts.”

 

The creative direction illustrates the devotion and passion of Red Sox fans by highlighting a Great Moment in the team’s rich and glorious past and showing in dramatic detail how Red Sox Nation experiences these events.  Each spot captures where people were, whom they were with, and the shared emotion of what being a member of Red Sox Nation is all about.  The creative execution is played out across a number of media platforms, including broadcast and online. The campaign is designed to encourage fans to view the moments, interviews and vote for the Red Sox Greatest Moment at www.redsoxnation.com.

 

 

Greatest Moments In Red Sox Nation History

 

1^st Inning:       “Stay Fair” – Fisk, 1975

2^nd Inning:      “Back to Foulke” – Final Out, 2004

3^rd Inning:      “Impossible Dream” – Lonborg Final Out, 1967

4^th Inning:      “Bloody Sock” – Schilling, Game 6, 2004

5^th Inning:      “Henderson HR” – ALCS, 1986

6^th Inning:      “Pedro’s Six” – ALDS, 1999

7^th Inning:      “Ortiz Walks Off Again!” – Game 5, 2004

8^th Inning:      ” It’s Over” – Papelbon Last Strike, 2007

9^th Inning:      “Brunansky’s Diving Catch” – October 1990