Let's get a couple things straight, right off the bat. First, the terrible pun in the previous sentence was intended. Second, Target Field is absolutely gorgeous and I am deeply in love with the place. The field is glorious, the food incredible, the views spectacular...
But that's all beside the point.
Target Field's identity as a true cathedral to Minnesota baseball has been create impeccably. Yankee Stadium and the Xcel Energy Center are two of the very few other sports facilities that so seamlessly link the venue and the club to the community. The Yankees have their Champion's Park, the X has a ring of Minnesota high school hockey jerseys...and "The Bullseye" has just about everything else. The stadium's facade, made of Kasota Limestone, evokes images of Minnesota's bluff country. The trees in center field remind everyone at the field of time spent up north. The statues and memorabilia all throughout the venue remind Twins fans of teams and times past. Even the food establishes the Target Field brand -- the comforting wild rice soup from Lunds and Byerly's, the wild rice chili from the Loon Cafe, burgers from Vincent's, sandwiches from Murray's, the original hot dogs from the old Met Stadium, and of course State Fair selections including walleye-on-a-stick.
Clearly, the Target Field brand and identity screams "MINNESOTA" as loudly as the entire crowd could. I haven't even mentioned the commanding view of downtown Minneapolis seen through right field.
So what does this mean for someone looking to advertise with the Twins? A lot. First and foremost, it means finding a way to fit in with the ballpark's brand while finding a way to stand out. The ballpark, in addition to being Minnesota-centric, is also very clearly an urban facility. Situated at the edge of downtown in the Minneapolis Warehouse District, the field is expected to anchor a renaissance in the neighborhood similar to the impact Coors Field had on the LoDo district in Denver. As LoDo grew again, new landmarks and recognizeable features began to emerge. So too has it happened in the Warehouse District. Just a few games into The Bullseye's life, Minneapolis-based ad agency Carmichael Lynch partnered with the Minneapolis College of Art and Design to create a piece of motion/animated art that is projected onto the old water tower located on the roof of their headquarters (the water tower can be seen in the image below). While this isn't a piece of advertising, it shows an impressive attention to trying to fit into the neighborhood's flavor. The colorful images and blinking, almost-creepy eyes perfectly fit into the brand inherent to an urban ballpark.
But others have struggled somewhat. Specifically, the Twins themselves and their signage in right-center field blocking the views from the Ramp B parking structure has left something to be desired. In fact, it even sticks out a little bit from the field's otherwise flawless facade. As can be seen in the picture above, the big blue baggy (reminiscent of the right field baggy in the Metrodome) has the logos of several of the Twins' title sponsors, including Delta Airlines and Target. It sticks out in that it just doesn't look like it belongs. It's not lighted, as are all other advertisements in the ballpark. The negative (or just simply unused) space on the baggy makes the entire piece seem like it was designed haphazardly. Even Target Center's checkered earth-tone exterior seen through the right field terrace fits in better with the Target Field theme - and Target Center has been around since 1990. This is an example of a less than successful attempt to fit into the Target Field brand.
The fix to this is obvious enough: just redesign the baggy so that it looks a little more in-touch with the stadium's brand. Perhaps instead of a dark blue baggy, brushed metal or perforated steel might look more attractive and on-brand, fitting in nicely with the stadium's other metal accents. Another option would be to change the baggy's color to the forest-green also seen around the stadium.
This example clearly illustrates the unique challenge facing advertisers now interested in accessing the Warehouse District. They have to both fit in with another entity's brand (Target Field) and they also have to find some way to be distinctive. This is the kind of challenge that Carmichael Lynch has risen to with its water tower animated art, and they are an example for how advertising strategy should be tailored in the future; unobtrusive, but interesting enough to be noticeable.
(Please Note: Images are courtesy of the Minneapolis Star Tribune)
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