Bringing
MLS to STL
Bringing a Major League Soccer team to St. Louis is no minor feat, as proven by multiple failed attempts in the past. When a locally-based ownership group approached Cannonball to do things differently, we embraced their challenge to develop a campaign including strategy, messaging and creative – a plan that required us to rally fans and civic leaders around a shared goal of landing a franchise, proving to MLS that St. Louis should be the home of their next expansion club.
The Rally Cry
We turned the “plan” into a “movement” we named #MLS4THELOU, creating a brand (logo, colors, etc.) that the St. Louis community embraced as their own. We designed the campaign for maximum community involvement, coverage and transparency – earning the support of key stakeholders throughout.
Social Media
Cannonball developed a social content calendar that deepened the connection between potential club and community. The plan was leveraged across Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
%
click-through rate
compared to normal rate of 1%
E-communication kept subscribed #MLS4THELOU ambassadors engaged and informed.
%
email open rate
compared to normal rate of 21%
MLS4THELOU.com
The movement’s website became the hub of all MLS4THELOU info, and was designed/ran by Cannonball.
average user visit as compared to normal rate of 1 minute per visit
Scoring The Goal
The movement became a reality when MLS awarded its 28th franchise to St. Louis.
Cannonball worked with club ownership and MLS to coordinate an announcement event and celebration party at a local craft brewery. We produced multiple videos and social content for the celebration, reinforcing how “WE” – the fans and local civic leaders – did this together.
The news was covered by all local media, as well as national media including ESPN, Sports Illustrated, NBC Sports, Fox News, The New York Times, CBS Sports, USA Today, BBC, AP and UPI.
