• by Larissa Faw , May 2, 2014

Baseball is not simply about a nine-inning battle between two teams. It's more than just wins and losses. For Major League Baseball's Houston Astros fans, it’s about being at the beautiful Minute Maid Park, building memories with your family. It’s about enjoying the FridayNight Fireworks with friends. It’s about the rituals of being a fan, and being an Astro. It’s about the hustle, hard work, and dedication that the players put in to give the fans a show.

At least that is what the team is trying to convey in a new marketing campaign. The Astros and full-service production company ZapBoomBang Studios have packaged that message in the 2014 "More Than Just a Game" community outreach media campaign. 

The campaign centers around the excitement and experience of attending a Houston Astros game as a true and dedicated fan. The two TV spots and two radio commercials illustrate the excitement of attending a game in not just the action on the field, but the enjoyment of watching the game with friends and family.

"The primary challenge in creating these spots was ensuring that we were communicating the experience within 30 seconds," says Ken Ashe, General Manager, ZapBoomBang Studios.

In the "Hard Work" TV and radio spot, viewers receive a behind-the-scenes look at the team's players preparing for a game. Meanwhile, the "Experience" spot, running on both TV and radio, showcases a father and soon enjoying a day at the park. 

"With so many exciting offerings for the 2014 season, our goal was to highlight the main pillars that represent the Houston Astros organization," says Ashe. "We wanted to showcase the hard work and dedication the players put in during the off-season, as well as focus on the experience at the ballpark. The end result provides the fans with a true picture of why it’s 'More Than Just a Game.'”

All production work was done with the Texas-based production company. ZapBoomBang Studios developed scripts, edited existing Houston Astros footage, and shot new footage for these spots, as well as recorded all voiceover talent and mastered all final spots.