"Embrace the Colors" -- this weekend in conjunction with MLS First Kick. The bilingual campaign will feature some of the league's most well-known players who take pride not only in their club colors, but also in their national team colors. The full marketing push will commence on Saturday, when the Chicago Fire visit FC Dallas at Pizza Hut Park in Frisco, Texas (4 p.m. ET, ABC Sports) to kick off the league's 11th season.
As 2006 is also a World Cup year, MLS, in conjunction with Transition Productions and Tupelo-Honey Productions, has aimed to capture the essence of soccer with a 'club and country' theme. Embrace the Colors will include television spots, print advertisements, out-of-home, internet and grassroots elements. The Spanish-language name of the campaign is "Pasion Por Tus Colores."
"The Embrace the Colors campaign captures the brand essence of Major League Soccer -- the League for a New America -- by combining imagery, passion and a strong voice that connects with each of our three target audiences: youth, core soccer fans and Hispanics" said Soccer United Marketing Enterprises President Douglas Quinn. "Also, by featuring top MLS stars that will appear on our U.S. national team, we're able to showcase our strong link with the World Cup."
The first TV spot, which is available for viewing exclusively on MLSnet.com until this weekend, features Los Angeles Galaxy star Landon Donovan and Colorado Rapids midfielder Pablo Mastroeni. The pair is displayed as divided by their club colors, yet united behind the Red, White and Blue of the U.S. national team that will search for glory at Germany 2006.
The ad was produced and directed by Transition's Kevin Harrison and Kemp Curly, who are well-known for their work on the snowboarding documentary First Descent. Lord Jamar of the hip-hop group Brand Nubians provides the English voice-over. Future Embrace the Colors commercials will feature some of the league's top talent, including Chivas USA's Francisco Palencia, FC Dallas forward Carlos Ruiz and 2005 Honda Most Valuable Player Taylor Twellman (New England Revolution).
The Embrace the Colors campaign is reminiscent of the league's 2002 marketing scheme, which similarly displayed the league's commitment to club and country with the "MLS Strike Force." That campaign focused primarily on U.S. national team players who called MLS home, while Embrace the Colors takes the club and country theme one step farther by showcasing the diversity of the league, incorporating players of other nationalities as well.
The league's 2006 season kicks off in style this weekend, with three games each on Saturday and Sunday. All 12 MLS clubs will be in action, including the inaugural game for Houston Dynamo and the New York Red Bulls first match in their new incarnation.
Jonathan Nierman is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
