Cubs Use Star Power in New Billboard Ads (Little of it their Own)

By Chuck Sudo in News on Feb 24, 2011 5:00PM

Image Credit: Tremendous Upside Potential reader Mike K.

Loving the new ad campaign launched by the Cubs to promote ticket sales tipped off to us by Tremendous Upside Potential. The above photo shows Cubs shortstop Starlin Castro and... New York Yankees star Derek Jeter? Another Cubs tickets ad at Deadspin shows Cardinals slugger Albert Pujols getting ready to tee off some Carlos Marmol high heat.

Yes, we understand that what the Cubs are doing here is selling their fanbase on the fact that the Chicago National League Ballclub draws the Evil Empire to the Friendly Confines in interleague play this year. But it can also be taken as a sign that the high-wattage star power on the Cubs may be a bit lacking. Once upon a time, they could slap a photoshopped Sammy Sosa (or Alfonso Soriano when he was new to the club) onto an ad and watch the ducats move. Now, they're hoping enough baseball fans want to watch Pujols lock in at the plate to push ticket sales.

This is an ad campaign the White Sox would have done (did?) somewhere between "the Kids Can Play" and "Grinder Rules."