Chevrolet Canada made a bet on the Toronto Blue Jays that paid off for the brand regardless of the post-season outcome.
The “High IQ Baseball Fan” activation didn’t hinge on a World Series win or even on an extended playoff run that took the team to the very brink of it. “The campaign was intentionally built to succeed regardless of on-field outcomes,” Lauren MacDonald, CMO for General Motors Canada tells Media in Canada.
“Its focus was on celebrating Canadian baseball fans, not the team’s playoff performance. This approach ensured the activation remained relevant and engaging whether the team advanced or not. The campaign’s emotional core was about community, fandom and knowledge – elements that endure well beyond the scoreboard.”
The carmaker parked a bright blue Silverado on its 20′ x 20′ on-site space at every home game during the postseason and invited baseball fans to show off their knowledge for a chance to win their own 2026 Silverado LT Trail Boss in “Riptide Blue Metallic.” At each game, hundreds of branded T-shirts were given away to those who proved their “high IQ,” with the goal of creating a visible takeover in the stands.
Paid amplification on Meta and TikTok targeted a three-kilometre radius around the stadium on game days, to maximize excitement and drive fan participation.
Dentsu handled media and broadcast integration, leveraging MLB playoff broadcast placements – lower thirds, score bug (the small graphic that displays the score and game clock) messaging and a 30-second spot – during ALDS, ALCS and World Series games, to extend the campaign nationally.
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The campaign was also extended on owned social channels, with new questions and new fan content released regularly. That way, it worked even if the Jays had exited the playoffs early. It was supported by tailored content from Blue Jays TV broadcaster Buck Martinez and Blue Jays legend Joe Carter, along with brand ambassadors who engaged fans by encouraging them to share their participation on social media.
“The campaign and its social content were designed to stand independently of postseason outcomes, celebrating Canadian baseball pride throughout,” MacDonald says. That the team’s season continued as long as it did “supercharged” the campaign, MacDonald says. The contest continued into last week, closing on Nov. 5.
MacDonald says the numbers are still being analyzed but that this campaign was the highest-performing social content for the brand all year, and exceeded engagement benchmarks.
Momentum Worldwide led experiential while Weber Shandwick handled social and influencer amplification.
