Inspired by baseball x hip hop x street. How to target young people with Rawlings’ new brand “Combat MFG”

Rawlings is one of the world’s largest baseball equipment and apparel manufacturers.A new brand for young peopleIn planning its expansion, the company took more inspiration from basketball than its own sports.

Basketball is my inspiration

Its brand name is Combat MFG.Campaign primarily targeting high school athletes and Generation Zwas launched on October 28th. Created by creative agency The Alt League, the campaign is shot in an urban, gritty street photography style set against hip-hop beats, defining the crossover between fashion and sports.Fusion of hip-hop, basketball, and sneaker cultureis intended to evoke.

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“Combat MFG” campaign video. Reminiscent of hip hop music videos

“Baseball is definitely following the same path as basketball,” said Dylan Kavanagh, vice president of omnichannel at Rawlings.

Like basketball,「What Pros Wear(What professionals wear)Through websites like , and stylish players such as Fernando Tatis Jr.A subculture that focuses on what kind of clothing baseball players wear is rapidly growing.. Tatis Jr. isCustom spikes inspired by Tiffany & Co.He is known for his eye-catching clothing on the field.

“Major League players are expressing themselves more, and you can see it in their sliding mitts, their shoes, their necklaces.” says Kavanagh.

The influence of D2C models and streetwear

The Combat brand’s main product is baseball bats, but at launch it will also include T-shirts, hats, batting gloves and bat grips. Kavanagh said more product categories are planned for future seasons. In contrast to Rawlings, which combines D2C and wholesale, CombatIt is sold entirely through D2C and is distinct from the company’s other brands.. The Combat Online Store makes no mention of his relationship with Rawlings.

But the inspiration from sneakers and streetwear goes beyond mere aesthetics. Combat will release the product in limited edition drops of approximately 500 units. Each drop will be numbered and there will be frequent collaborations. The first collection includes a collaboration with New Era’s sports brand 47 Hats.

“The main product is bats, but this brand really has everything going for it,” Kavanagh said. “We’re removing barriers to product launch, so we can quickly pivot and try new things.”

NIL rules changed: New strategy using young athletes

The Alt League considers recent changes to name, image and likeness (NIL) rules that now allow student-athletes to accept brand deals as they devise a marketing launch for Combat. In response to this, they took advantage of this and hired young athletes who were attracting attention. Jayden Walton, a Lakeview Academy catcher with 1.4 million followers on Instagram and 2.9 million followers on TikTok, is one of several young athletes participating in Combat’s campaign.

“Our plan was to bring these young people out into the world and film them like a music video,” said Kimi Peterson, co-executive creative director of The Alt League. “We treated them like stars.”

Relaxation of NIL rulesLike the WNBAA tailwind for professional sports leagues. The WNBA has benefited from student-athletes building fan bases early in their careers. MLB viewership has increased by 5% this year, and the World Series, which started on October 25th, currently has a per game4 million peopleSomeone nearby is watching.

“We’ve worked with a lot of professional athletes over the years,” said Rick Albano, co-executive creative director of The Alt League. “But these young people who are just starting out in their careers are very passionate. They’ve grown up around social media and are building their own businesses. They know what they’re doing. is”.

[原文：[原文：Baseball brands are taking cues from basketball’s relationship with fashion]

DANNY PARISI (Translator: Maya Kishida, Editor: Yoshiko Toda)