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Creative in association withGear Seven
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WIN Reality Gives Batters the Edge with VR Batting App

08/06/2022
Consultants
New York, USA
359
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Greatest Common Factory launches the 'be ready for real' campaign

WIN Reality is about to make baseball and softball pitchers around the US very, very sad. The virtual reality app that lets batters practice against real pitchers from Little League to the Major Leagues is stepping into the box on primetime sports coverage, with an ad campaign centering on retired Yankees pitching age C.C. Sabathia and his son Carsten, a high school baseball star. The campaign from agency Greatest Common Factory dramatises pitchers’ reactions to the new batter advantage and calls players to ‘be ready for real’ by using the app.  

Players and coaches can import statistics on any pitcher into WIN Reality, so hitters can practice against them anytime. For example, high school hitters can practice against a rival pitcher with a 91-mph fastball that their coaches can’t produce. 

“We make it possible to have batter’s box practice, not just batting practice,” said Branden Windle, WIN Reality president. “We’re really changing the way people can practise by using virtual reality. The work hitters put in with WIN Reality on Oculus pays real dividends in real ballparks across the US everyday.” 

Ads play up the crucible of the batter’s box and dramatise the dismay of pitchers, including Sabathia. One spot starts behind the cleats of a batter entering the box as the voiceover intones, “The batter’s box: it’s the most intimidating real estate in sports. Until you learn the secret. To win reality, you start in here.” 

Another spot features ‘old school’ retired Yankees ace CC Sabathia and his ‘new school’ son Carsten, and shows what Carsten sees when he uses the app. ‘I love it,’ he says, as the camera shifts to CC swinging with the app in their living room. CC pushes up the viewer and says, “Man I’m glad I’m retired.”

There are others with the Sabathias, and then there are two with pitchers complaining about the app. “It’s cheating,” says a high schooler, while a Little Leaguer says “It’s like the hitters know what I’m gonna throw. Every time.”  Another says, “I hate WIN Reality,” while a Little League hitter says, “I love it.” We see him swinging in his bedroom, then connecting on a homer in real life. 

“We’re bringing humanity to the app, showing the real-world payoff,” said John Trahar, creative and strategy lead at Greatest Common Factory. “The interplay between pitchers and hitters is real. We had one pitcher ask us, ‘Is there one where I can practice against batters?’”

“Be ready for real” will run throughout the rest of the Major League Baseball season on ESPN, MLB streaming, and other OTT consoles. In addition, a banner will run behind home plate in select stadiums. 

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