The Assignment:

In early 2024, German workwear leader STRAUSS was still in its first year of operations in the United States and looking to increase its profile. In Europe, STRAUSS has had a long association with sports, where the brand successfully targets its core customers via the pastimes they most enjoy. STRAUSS sponsors, or has sponsored, Los Angeles FC, Liverpool FC, Bayern Munich, Eintracht Frankfurt, as well as sporting competitions including the UEFA Champions League and the UEFA European Championships, among others.

In the United States, STRAUSS management made the decision to run a similar playbook, but this time to focus on increasing name recognition through America’s passtime: Baseball.

In 2024, STRAUSS made a landmark deal with Major League Baseball to become the first ever Post-Season helmet sponsor.

The Challenge:

Create a marketing and PR strategy that maximizes a unique sponsorship opportunity without alienating baseball traditionalists.

Although the strategy of reaching customers through professional sports was similar in both Europe and the United States, STRAUSS has been operating in Europe for generations and enjoys a huge and loyal customer base. In the United States, on the other hand, many have never heard of STRAUSS. Indeed, the brand has only been active in the US since Fall 2023.

This meant that the sponsorship would function as more than a brand awareness campaign. It would be an introduction to the American people. And first impressions are important.

The Approach:

Teamwork, creativity, authenticity.

In the months leading up to the October announcement, WestWord worked hand-in-hand with STRAUSS and Major League Baseball to build a strategy that introduced the brand and established the connection between workwear and the dedication that it takes to excel, whether you’re on the field or in the field–all while championing the working class ethos that unites many baseball fans.

WestWord was heavily involved in both PR and creative, which allowed for a holistic approach to messaging, allowing us to not only promote the brand but to help redirect some of the pushback toward the new branding that came from some traditionalist baseball fans.

On the creative side, the heart of the effort was a series of cinematic, emotionally resonant videos that captured the shared spirit of craftsmanship, resilience, and teamwork and reinforced the authentic values of MLB’s postseason narrative. Everyone is working toward a job well done.

A final touch was a new slogan. STRAUSS sought a slogan that would unite baseball fans while remaining true to its workwear heritage. It had to feel native to the sport. It had to be positive and aspirational without alienating anyone. What came out was deceptively simple, a message that captures the STRAUSS spirit of ambition in a clear baseball reference.

“Gear Up. Go Yard.”

The Outcome:

A Home-Run Introduction

As the helmet sponsorship was unveiled, STRAUSS saw coverage in just about every top-tier sports and business publication across the US (and many around the world). We worked tirelessly to make sure each interview and article aligned with STRAUSS’ broader strategic goals—introducing the brand to millions of new fans and potential customers in North America and beyond.

The campaign reached an estimated audience of over a billion and garnered over $3 billion in added media value.

It’s a move that solidified STRAUSS as a brand that was in the United States, ready to play ball, and full of can-do ambition.

Gallery

Take a look at our Success