Adobe x MLB Monster Fan
I developed this concept for Adobe's 2022 MLB Postseason partnership, built around one question: what if Adobe and MLB could connect with fans in a way that amplified their enthusiasm for baseball while getting them to think about it creatively? The goals were straightforward: amplify the in-postseason fan experience, connect baseball with creativity and personalization, and expand Adobe's brand awareness by reaching new audiences in the moments that mattered most to them.
The idea, Monster Fan, launched as a two-phase activation. In Phase 1, a fan took a short quiz on a dedicated microsite, no app download required, naming their favorite postseason team, and an algorithm matched them to a monster character illustrated wearing that team's cap. In Phase 2, fans took their monster into Adobe Express to personalize it further with stickers and type, and shared their monster fandom across social with #AdobeMonsterFan.
Bakea illustrated eight monster characters, one for each of the 2022 postseason teams. I also proposed a set of extensions to grow the activation further, though these didn't land: a monster fan plushy on the MLB Tonight desk for on-air promotion, full-size monster fans roaming stadiums for fans to find, photograph, and share for a plushy giveaway, a QR-code voting mechanic that would grow a monster on-screen as more fans voted for it during commercial breaks, and an AR feature letting fans at the game predict a winner by pointing their camera at the scoreboard to reveal their monster reacting.
Monster Fan ran throughout the 2022 postseason, and two fans whose posts stood out, one American League fan and one National League fan, were surprised with a trip to the 2023 World Series.
Credits
John Caponi / Senior Creative Director / Concept, strategy, creative direction and development
Alejandro Chavetta / Executive Creative Director
Bakea / Illustrator / Instagram
Meredith Batcheller / Group Manager, Head of Global Sports Marketing
Hannah Etter / Manager, Sports Marketing
