Right, wrong or indifferent, the Houston Astros have long been a team that pride themselves on being a hometown team. It’s because of that Texas flair and sense of entitlement we’ve all become accustomed to and our loyalty extends almost to a fault. It’s that unprecedented pride we feel about our barbeque, our cowboy boots and our country music…and damn sure our baseball. The Astros make a point of highlighting the Texas born and bred men they add to their roster each year as if it were a valid selling point. They beam about it in all facets of media using it to their advantage anyway they can. And like blind sheep, fans flock to these men in a Josh-We-Love-You-So-Much-Kind-Of-Hamilton-Way. Simply because they’re from Texas.
Last week, the Astros front office announced their new campaign, “We Are Your Astros”. This tagline was released in conjunction with the fact that they’d again chosen to outsource the campaign and all creative aspects to Lee Queano Creative in Torrance, CA. Having worked in sports marketing for over 5 years, and at one time specifically for the Astros, I can vouch that the creativity in most front offices is oftentimes lacking.
“This is perhaps the strongest communication we have ever created for the Astros,” the firm’s principal and chief creative director Lee Queano said. “The team belongs to the fans of Houston and this year’s campaign is supported by the continuing involvement and commitment of the Astros through countless community efforts to make the city an even better place to live,” Queano continued.