Where Do You Live? Oh, NatsTown?

by Dave at Nats News Network on Feb 6, 2009 10:03 AM EST Comment 33 comments

Yesterday, the Nationals released their marketing campaign for the 2009 season. Are you ready for this?

WASHINGTON NATIONALS INVITE NATIONALS FANS TO VISIT NATSTOWN AND GET YOUR RED ON

The Washington Nationals today announced their 2009 "NatsTown" marketing and advertising campaign, which unites all fans in everything Nationals – at the ballpark, in the community, and in their everyday lives.

The innovative campaign, which will debut on television, on radio, and in newspaper and website advertisements, invites all fans to "Get Your Red On," showing Nationals spirit by wearing team colors, sporting the Curly "W" cap or jersey, listening to games on WFED, watching on MASN, or following the team online or in the newspaper.

The Nationals intend to feature Nationals players, Manager Manny Acta, coaches and fans, telling their versions of what "NatsTown" means to them, how they express it, and what the hometown baseball experience can mean to fans in Washington DC, Maryland and Virginia.

"I know how much the return of Major League Baseball has meant to Washington DC area baseball fans, and this campaign is intended to express it," said Stan Kasten, Nationals Team President. "It’s team spirit, community pride, American tradition tied up in a package that best displays the Home of the National Pastime in the Nation’s Capital. I want baseball fans all over the country to know that that in DC we know how to support a team; that when we lift our World Series trophy our fans will know how to celebrate."

The new campaign recognizes that every time a Nats fan comes to the ballpark, watches a game, visits the website, dons a Washington Nationals cap, or just checks the score, he or she is entering a Nationals state-of-mind and joining a community of fans in "NatsTown."

If you want to get the opinion of the common fan, click the link. For me, this feels like another one of a long string of decent ideas that either through effort or support just doens't quite hit the mark.

First, here's the logo.

"NatsTown"

I hope the team got permission from the National Park Service to use the likeness of the Capitol and Monument. Either way, there's nothing about the logo that says "baseball". No image of the stadium. No silouette of a player. Not even a ball or a bat. And what's with the weird mirror imaging of the words? It's just a really strange design effect. Is it just me?

Next, let's discuss the connotation of "NatsTown".

Is DC really Nats town? I'd say right now (per our timely discussion thread the other day), this is a CapsTown right now. As we all know, it's usually SkinsTown. It's always been a college basketball town. But it's a neophyte baseball town, and even then there are usually just as many out-of-town fans as Nats fans.

Where do you live? NatsTown. And considering the way this team usually pilfers other people's traditions and uses them as their own (Sweet Caroline, anyone? And really, aren't the Racing Presidents just a rip-off of the saugage racers in Milwaukee?), doens't "Nats Nation" just have a better ring to it than NatsTown? I'm all for aliteration.

Either way, I would have preferred a left handed hitting, middle-of-the-order guy to a new marketing campaign any day of the week. Lipstick on a pig.

Poll

Who is mayor of NatsTown?

Stan Kasten

11 votes

Manny Acta

7 votes

Clint

16 votes

Coach (the usher that dances to Sweet Caroline)

17 votes

51 votes | Poll has closed

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Comments

Someone at the Post suggested, "The Capital Of Baseball."

…which is actually pretty good, someone hire that commenter…

Aside from the fact that the Nationals finished third in the POLL you referenced, the most surprising part of the results is that 100 votes in NO ONE has voted for the ~~Bull.~~. uh Wizards. What’s up with that?

When I asked around last night about the interest in DC in the Nationals, the answer I got from several different people was that Washington in an “event” town, the Caps are hot now, so they’ve got the juice, but if the Nationals start winning??? There did seem to be a lot more excitement about the team in the first half of ‘05, when they were actually winning some games, so maybe they’re right…

Anyone got a job for me in DC so I can move to NatsTown full time? What? I probably shouldn’t quit a paying job in this economy? Eh…

"Nothin' wrong with my leg, I'm just B-boy limpin'" - MCA

by Ed Chigliak on Feb 6, 2009 10:29 AM EST reply actions 0 recs

Are you a foreign national?

That last name…Chigliak. Oh the hell with it! You know that we don’t profile here. C’mon down! The federal government (last time I checked) is the largest employer in the nation. There are plenty of jobs here. Keep in mind though, you’ll be put through a rigorous vetting process / background investigation. If you’ve committed ANY kind of tax violations, you can forget it working here though. Got it?!

Unless you land a job making six figures, don’t bother moving to NOVA (Northern Virginia). It’s some of the hottest (read expensive) real estate in the country. Besides, Cheney has a home there and if you’re not careful you’re liable to get shot. If not shot, maybe spied on (if you’re a suspect) by The Company. They’re headquartered there in McLean.

Good luck.

The psychology of the American (and Western) consumer is going to have to change. The previous bubble economy we witnessed in the late 20th and early 21st century is unsustainable.

by LOUtheMETandNATSfan on Feb 6, 2009 12:59 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Thanks for the encouragement, Lou..

…trust me, NJ is no cheaper than Virginia, and there are no Nationals to watch there, only Hated Mets and Yankees.

"Nothin' wrong with my leg, I'm just B-boy limpin'" - MCA

by Ed Chigliak on Feb 6, 2009 6:33 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

+1

…for “Capital of Baseball”

"Next year we'll make it better." -- Mannyger Acta

by Doghouse on Feb 6, 2009 1:24 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Until the Nats get over .500

I think that idea needs to be put on hold. Don’t get me wrong. I like it. Just not at this stage.

The psychology of the American (and Western) consumer is going to have to change. The previous bubble economy we witnessed in the late 20th and early 21st century is unsustainable.

by LOUtheMETandNATSfan on Feb 6, 2009 1:34 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

That was the best one I read, maybe the Nationals can use it next year...

"Nothin' wrong with my leg, I'm just B-boy limpin'" - MCA

by Ed Chigliak on Feb 6, 2009 6:34 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

i think according to the press release...

NatsTown is wherever you happen to be when you are “entering a Nationals state-of-mind”.

i’m feeling a little Nationals today.

Your voice of doom and gloom.

by Dave at Nats News Network on Feb 6, 2009 11:10 AM EST reply actions 0 recs

I'm working myself back into a Nationals state-of-mind...

…as it gets warmer every day, it’s starting to come back after trying to block out the “losing feeling” since the end of last season…

"Nothin' wrong with my leg, I'm just B-boy limpin'" - MCA

by Ed Chigliak on Feb 6, 2009 6:35 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Hi my name is Truman...

Something is weird in this town and I just can’t point a finger at the problem. Why do I have Nats logos on my underwear. I was wondering why my kids Natalie and Nathan loved our apartment at 1500 South Capitol Street, SE so much. Their Mom, Natastia, is always looking for me to hit a homerun. I mean every night people. I don’t think my bat can handle anymore. Something is very weird indeed. Ummm. Oh crap I’m just imagining it all again. Everything will be ok after dinner. We’re having Ben’s chili again. It gives me gas, but I do love it….

by Berndaddy on Feb 6, 2009 12:13 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

I hate clint…

www.TheNatsBlog.com

by yardyoder on Feb 6, 2009 12:51 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

Clint for village idiot of NatsTown!

Why couldn’t we non-tender that bozo? I swear, the cloud of FAIL that surrounds him probably costs us several wins each year, as well as being responsible for every pulled hamstring Dukes had in 2008.

"Next year we'll make it better." -- Mannyger Acta

by Doghouse on Feb 6, 2009 1:23 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

"cloud of FAIL"

Now that sir deserves a +1

The psychology of the American (and Western) consumer is going to have to change. The previous bubble economy we witnessed in the late 20th and early 21st century is unsustainable.

by LOUtheMETandNATSfan on Feb 6, 2009 1:32 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Cloud of fail?

…poor poor over-enthusiastic Clint…the most hated hype-man in baseball…

"Nothin' wrong with my leg, I'm just B-boy limpin'" - MCA

by Ed Chigliak on Feb 6, 2009 6:36 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Hate isn't a strong enough word.

by Graysnail on Feb 7, 2009 10:16 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Momma said never complain w/out a solution.

Here ya go:
Abhor
Despise
Loathe
Detest
Dislike
Revulsion
Contempt
Disgust

The psychology of the American (and Western) consumer is going to have to change. The previous bubble economy we witnessed in the late 20th and early 21st century is unsustainable.

by LOUtheMETandNATSfan on Feb 7, 2009 2:14 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

You have no soul, sir.

by David M. Getz on Feb 17, 2009 12:37 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

"Stop the presses!!"

Hold on a moment. I just finished reading today’s paper (and yesterday’s paper) and I didn’t see word one about any NatsTown story. The following items regarding baseball were in the physical (I’m one of the twelve still reading) newspaper:

Thomas Boswell’s column discussing the Nats’ impact players
Dave Sheinin standing by to bring us any news on free agency
Odalis Perez being signed to a minor league deal

There was just as much coverage of the area’s massage parlors as there was on the Nats. “Not that there’s anything wrong with that.” As I said before, if I’m hoping to hear up to the minute news on the Nats, I’m coming to this blog first. I heard no mention of NatsTown in the paper, radio or t.v.

I guess the New York Mets have a new rival when it comes to lousy marketing emblems. Has anyone forgotten the Citi Field Inaugural Season patch? I haven’t.

I’m actually beginning to wonder about the word Nationals. Hasn’t a “National” always denoted a negative context? For instance:

In 1953, Iran’s Mohammed Mosadegh was overthrown in a coup d’etat with the help of western intelligence agencies because he wanted to NATIONALIZE the Iranian oil industry.
Weren’t there some in our country who were afraid to approve of the initial bailout package because it would be conducive to NATIONALIZING the banking industry?

By far, the funniest comment I saw regarding the NatsTowning of D.C., Virginia and Maryland was the following:

I live in NatsTown. The rent is very high and the owners of the town take a long time to fix things. They use a lot of duct tape and chicken wire to keep things barely working. And they use a lot 2nd rate laborers to do the work, which ends up being very poor in quality.
Posted by: Section505203 | February 5, 2009 2:45 PM

For the record, I would like to say that the above statement made from that poster did not embellish anything at all. It’s factual. I can attest to it. Two and a half years left here and I hope to go back to San Diego. Fires and earth quakes be damned!

For the record: I live in (what I’ve officially named) the Little Somalethiopia area of Alexandria, Va.

The psychology of the American (and Western) consumer is going to have to change. The previous bubble economy we witnessed in the late 20th and early 21st century is unsustainable.

by LOUtheMETandNATSfan on Feb 6, 2009 1:31 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

we're probably neighbors then...

but then, we’re all neighbors in NatsTown™!

Your voice of doom and gloom.

by Dave at Nats News Network on Feb 6, 2009 3:56 PM EST up reply actions 1 recs

It works on so many levels...

…new sig, absolutely!

"We’re all neighbors in NatsTown™!" --NNN

by Doghouse on Feb 6, 2009 4:46 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Well then neighbor

I guess you won’t have a problem loaning me a cup of FAIL!

The psychology of the American (and Western) consumer is going to have to change. The previous bubble economy we witnessed in the late 20th and early 21st century is unsustainable.

by LOUtheMETandNATSfan on Feb 6, 2009 5:01 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

i got nothing BUT fail for you Lou...

:-)

Your voice of doom and gloom.

by Dave at Nats News Network on Feb 6, 2009 6:38 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

In NatsTown people will welcome outiders with:

The psychology of the American (and Western) consumer is going to have to change. The previous bubble economy we witnessed in the late 20th and early 21st century is unsustainable.

by LOUtheMETandNATSfan on Feb 6, 2009 7:43 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

whoops

“Outsiders”

The psychology of the American (and Western) consumer is going to have to change. The previous bubble economy we witnessed in the late 20th and early 21st century is unsustainable.

by LOUtheMETandNATSfan on Feb 6, 2009 7:47 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Do you know who would bring NatsTown some pinache?

The psychology of the American (and Western) consumer is going to have to change. The previous bubble economy we witnessed in the late 20th and early 21st century is unsustainable.

by LOUtheMETandNATSfan on Feb 6, 2009 5:44 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Those things really are super-absorbent...

"Nothin' wrong with my leg, I'm just B-boy limpin'" - MCA

by Ed Chigliak on Feb 6, 2009 6:37 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Have you seen his new product?

Slap Chop!

The psychology of the American (and Western) consumer is going to have to change. The previous bubble economy we witnessed in the late 20th and early 21st century is unsustainable.

by LOUtheMETandNATSfan on Feb 6, 2009 7:39 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs