The Cubs not only made history, they made a scene.
The first thing you see when you walk into Esparza is a 100-foot-long sign hanging 15 feet overhead that reads, “Why run an ad, when you can make a scene?”
Crafting solutions that can “make a scene” is the core philosophy of our agency. The seventh game of the 2016 World Series provided a textbook example of how to make a fantastic scene.
At Esparza we believe there are six key components to making a successful scene. Without question, the Chicago Cubs’ historic Game Seven victory met every single one.
Here’s how they made history (and a scene):
WAS IT ARRESTING?
It took exactly 2 minutes and 28 seconds for the first home run of the game to be recorded. Four pitches in and just over 40,000,000 Americans were already screaming at the TV. Arresting? Check.
WAS IT RELEVANT?
It’s hard to imagine a game that could possess more relevance. Two teams that have collectively not won a World Series in 176 years were going head-to-head in a winner-take-all seventh game. Relevant? Check.
WAS IT ENGAGING?
Ten innings. Seven lead changes. Four errors (two Golden Glove winners), three stolen bases and a home run by the oldest active player in Major League Baseball (who was retiring after the game). Engaging? Check.
WAS IT COMPELLING?
If you watched the game, you didn’t watch anything else. Neilsen data recorded a less than 4% drop-off in viewership even after a 17 minute rain delay.
WAS IT NEWSWORTHY?
If aliens had landed in Chicago that night — it would not have lead the news.
WAS IT MEASURABLE?
According to Nielsen Live Plus, the seventh game of the 2016 World Series was the most watched game in the last 25 years. It eclipsed the 2001 Game Seven when the New York Yankees lost to the Arizona Diamondbacks a month after 9/11, as well as the 2004 Game Four when the Boston Red Sox ended their own 86-year championship drought on the infamous “blood-red sock” of pitcher Curt Shilling.
There were 2,451 Major League Baseball games played in 2016, but only one of them will be remembered forever. It’s not an accident it was the last game of a historic season for the Cubs. They made us scream, they made us cry, and without question–they made a scene.
