2017 World Series Provides Unique Advertising Opportunity For Auto Industry

Sports fans know late October means it’s time to crown a new World Series champion, and this year’s Fall Classic has the Houston Astros pitted against the Los Angeles Dodgers. For advertisers, the World Series is a huge opportunity with up to seven days of critical audience exposure.

According to a report by University of Detroit Mercy professor Dr. Mike Bernacchi, the auto industry will likely once again be among the big World Series advertising spenders.

Last year, both Ford Motor Company F and General Motors Company GM were among the top five biggest World Series ad spenders, combining to dish out $34 million in World Series spending. Ford and GM are fending off Tesla Inc. TSLA, which is expected to be producing 20,000 electric Model 3s per month by year’s end.

This year, the auto industry has even more of a unique advertising opportunity given that Hurricane Harvey destroyed nearly a million vehicles in Houston and other areas of the Gulf Coast.

Bernacchi said Astros ace Justin Verlander would make a great spokesperson for the auto industry as it transitions to the electric vehicle era. Not only is Verlander’s fastball electric, he spent 13 seasons in the Motor City starring for the Detroit Tigers before joining the Astros late this year.

So far, auto companies have struggled to produce affordable, quality electric vehicles that are also profitable, but Bernacchi said production costs will likely continue to fall.

“As battery prices drop and they work to build lighter cars with stronger motors they will definitely be seeing their profit and true value soon,” Bernacchi said.

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