Behind the Scenes of MLB’s El Béisbol Es Otra Cosa

On May 30, 2024, Major League Baseball launched its newest campaign celebrating the impact of its Latino players and fans: El Béisbol Es Otra Cosa (Baseball Is Something Else). 

The campaign, which included a short film along with a social-first extension that carried throughout the 2024 season, illustrates how interwoven Latino culture is with the game of baseball, both in the US and across Latin America.

Starring in the short film is Cuban/Dominican stand-up comedian Marcello Hernández and Puerto Rican multiplatinum rapper and singer Myke Towers, along with some of the league’s Latino stars: Francisco Lindo, Elly De La Cruz, Randy Arozarena, and Yordan Alvarez. MLB partnered with multicultural creative agency Remezcla, and the film was directed by Lobos, the director duo of Carmelo Varela and Andrew Garciato.

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With the close of the 2024 season, LiS™: Latinos in Sports spoke with a few of the team members to learn more about El Béisbol Es Otra Cosa.

Chanel Zapata is the senior coordinator for global marketing strategy and works directly with MLB colleagues in Europe, China, and Mexico on how to effectively tell the story of the MLB brand locally. For El Béisbol Es Otra Cosa, she developed pitches for potential talent and collaborators to participate while advocating for a global point of view within the overall campaign strategy.

Javier Roman is the senior manager of Spanish social editorial. For El Béisbol Es Otra Cosa, he oversaw the execution of the social media promotion and engagement with the fan base.

Steven Tyler is the director for global brand management and oversees the league’s Latine marketing efforts. For El Béisbol Es Otra Cosa, he was responsible for defining the overarching objectives, strategy, and briefing to Remezcla and collaborated closely with the agency on the creative development of the film, cutdowns, social media extensions, and partner integrations.

Anthony Pardo is the director of partnership activation and manages daily league partnership with corporate partners Corona and Mastercard. He led the integration of both brands into an extension of El Béisbol Es Otra Cosa, working closely with Tyler and the team at Remezcla.

What did the campaign production look like, from initial ideation to launch? What were some of the challenges?   

Zapata: From my perspective, one of the main challenges we had with this campaign was how to effectively illustrate insights from our Latino/a/x/e community that live in the United States but that can resonate with a global audience.

Tyler: Production on this campaign was a collaborative, thoughtful effort that spanned several months. We carefully deliberated on copy, language strategy, talent selection, and the production team to ensure the campaign authentically represented MLB’s Latine community. Our goal was to connect culturally with Latines of all backgrounds—domestically and internationally. Partnering with Myke Towers and Marcello Hernández was key to achieving this, as was working with Lobos, a talented duo of Latino directors, who brought a unique perspective to the hero film.

One of the biggest challenges was creating something that resonated with Latines across different countries and cultures while also including specific “inside culture” elements. For example, lighting veladoras resonated deeply with Mexican fans, while lingo like Qué Bacano connected with Dominican audiences. Remezcla did a fantastic job balancing these layers of representation, ensuring the campaign was both broad in appeal and culturally specific.

Pardo: One of the biggest challenges from the sponsor’s perspective was ensuring that each partner’s integration stayed true to their brand identity, while also aligning with the overall campaign and the voice that resonated so strongly with Latino consumers. For Corona, the focus was on how to bring what la vida más fina means through the experiences of both players and fans. For Mastercard, the goal was to highlight how Latino players connect with their communities by supporting the small businesses that are the backbone of Latino culture. In both cases, Remezcla, along with the directors and crew, did an exceptional job of balancing these elements, creating compelling storytelling that achieved all of the objectives.

When building this campaign, what was the impact that you wanted to make? 

Tyler: Our primary goal was to ensure that our Latine fans and players felt genuinely seen and celebrated through this campaign. We wanted to spotlight the vibrant contributions of the Latine community to baseball in a way that felt authentic and inspiring. Seeing MLB’s star Latino players embrace and engage with the campaign was a huge milestone, reinforcing that the campaign resonated with those at the heart of the game.

The response from fans was equally rewarding. Through social listening, we saw an overwhelmingly positive sentiment, which was a clear indicator that the campaign struck a chord and fostered a sense of pride and connection. The real impact was in creating an emotional connection that deepened fans’ love for the game and their cultural ties to it. It’s not just about numbers—it’s about making people feel valued and celebrated within the MLB community.

Pardo: The goal was straightforward: how can our league partners authentically integrate into the campaign to achieve their KPIs while also building on the momentum we’ve created? It was crucial that these stories not only resonated authentically with fans but also amplified the voices that Corona and Mastercard have long established as brands engaging with Latino communities.

What was the reception to the campaign when it launched? And how well did it do throughout the 2024 season?

Tyler: The campaign launched to overwhelmingly positive sentiment. Fans praised its authenticity and emotional resonance, particularly in celebrating Latino culture and traditions. On platforms like TikTok, comments like “This commercial gave me chills” and “Finally baseball embracing its demographic” garnered thousands of likes, reflecting the deep cultural impact.

Throughout the 2024 season, the campaign continued to deliver massive reach and cultural relevance. The initiative resonated globally, with Mexico, Venezuela, the Dominican Republic, and the US accounting for the majority of mentions. Influencer partnerships amplified the message, while coverage in outlets like GQ and AdAge highlighted its success in authentically connecting with Latino audiences.

The campaign grew even further with integrations into marquee events like MLB All-Star Week, collaborations with brands like Corona, and activations during Hispanic Heritage Month. Its authentic celebration of culture, widespread reach, and emotional resonance solidified its place as one of MLB’s standout campaigns of 2024, paving the way for deeper connections with both existing fans and new audiences worldwide.

How do you think this campaign differs from other ways that MLB has celebrated and promoted Latine culture?

Zapata: MLB has celebrated the Latino/a/e/x culture greatly throughout the years. One of my favorite campaigns was Pónle Acento because of the authenticity, the relevance (even for me as a high school student in Puerto Rico), and the simple yet actionable items it promoted. Now shifting to 2024, El Béisbol Es Otra Cosa shined because it combined the shared values as Latino/a/e/x with the unique traditions from our communities in a way that we can all say and feel esas son mis tradiciones y cultura.

Roman: I concur with Chanel; the other project that hit the spot for our audience and channels was the Pónle Acento campaign, which was more focused on the relevance and authenticity of our language. El Béisbol Es Otra Cosa brought the traditions from our communities and values in our household, wherever it’s you as first generation to third generation Latinos, it presented our costumes and culture.

Tyler: This campaign set itself apart by embracing a more authentic and holistic celebration of Latine culture, moving beyond surface-level acknowledgments to deeply connect with the community’s traditions and values. By incorporating stories and moments that resonate emotionally with the Latine community, the campaign felt like a genuine reflection of their contributions to the game and its culture.

This campaign also prioritized reaching Latine audiences where they are, with a strong presence on platforms like TikTok and Instagram that resonate with younger, digitally savvy fans. Collaborations with influencers who authentically represent the culture helped amplify the message, ensuring that it didn’t feel like a corporate campaign but rather a celebration driven by the community itself. Additionally, it targeted non-baseball fans, expanding MLB’s reach by showcasing the cultural relevance of the game in a way that transcends sports.

The level of integration was another standout feature, with the campaign woven into marquee events like MLB All-Star Week, brand partnerships, and activations during Hispanic Heritage Month. This cohesive approach ensured that the celebration of Latine culture wasn’t confined to a single moment but became a consistent theme throughout the season. It represented a shift in MLB’s approach to celebrating diversity—not as a box to check but as an ongoing commitment to honoring the traditions, stories, and fans that make baseball a global game.

What did it mean to you to work on this campaign? 

Zapata: I have thought of this question a lot but at the end of the day, it’s about living my dream and reflecting our culture. My first MLB game was in 2002 when the Expos played in San Juan and ever since then, I have been passionate about the industry and what it evokes to fans and non-fans. To be able to work on a campaign that highlights our culture, values and traditions with such a talented team, it’s just otra cosa (see what I did there!).

Roman: It was a success for our social media, especially our fan base. We highlighted our customs and cultures—even though we all speak Spanish, each of our countries has something unique that represents that uniqueness. The sentiment on social media was a success, with one of the best posts on our Las Mayores accounts this season.

Pardo: This project is one of the most memorable I’ve worked on in my career, and I’m truly humbled to have played a small role in it. As a Latino, the overarching campaign deeply resonated with me, as it authentically captured the diverse cultures represented by our players and fans. Latinos are not a monolith, and both the game of baseball and this campaign served as powerful tools to challenge that misconception. The fact that the campaign connected so strongly with Corona and Mastercard—two brands that have done incredible work to engage the same audience—provided me with the opportunity to extend the campaign’s impact across multiple platforms.

Tyler: On both a professional and personal level, working on this campaign was incredibly meaningful. Professionally, it was an opportunity to celebrate the vibrancy and impact of Latine culture within baseball, amplifying the voices of players and fans who bring so much passion to the game. Personally, it struck a deep chord for me. My love of baseball comes from my Cuban abuelo, with whom I grew up watching games in Miami. Baseball is woven into the fabric of Cuban culture, and this campaign allowed me to connect with my roots in a way that felt both personal and profound. It was a privilege to honor my heritage while contributing to something that resonated so strongly across the baseball community.

How do you see this campaign evolving in 2025? What can Latino fans expect?

Zapata: In a perfect world, I would love to see El Béisbol Es Otra Cosa having campaign iterations based on communities (Puerto Rican, Dominican, Mexican, among other Spanish speaking countries), where instead of us telling them why El Béisbol Es Otra Cosa, they can show and tell us why.

Tyler: We’re excited about the potential for this campaign to grow and evolve in 2025. Latine fans can expect us to continue showcasing the energy and contributions of the Latine community to baseball, but with even more emphasis on deeper storytelling. We want to amplify personal narratives from players and fans that highlight the cultural pride, traditions, and passion that define Latine baseball culture.

Our goal is to continue fostering an authentic connection with Latine fans while making them feel represented and celebrated year-round. In 2025, we hope to not only entertain but also inspire, creating an even greater sense of belonging within the MLB community. Stay tuned!

Pardo: For 2025, the campaign has the potential to expand even further, with the opportunity to share more stories in collaboration with partners. The goal is for 2024 to serve as just the beginning, paving the way for other partners to find their own unique ways to tell EBEOC stories that are both authentic to their brand and resonate with fans.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.