California has the unique distinction of being the home of four different Major League Baseball franchises. For now, one of those franchises will have to deal with knowing that they’re handing out awards for making fun of them.
Bay Area transit option Caltrain has just won a national award for its commercial ripping the Los Angeles Dodgers last summer. Caltrain is a popular way for San Francisco Giants fans to get to Oracle Park, as its final stop is just two blocks away from the Giants’ field.
Last season, just days before the Giants hosted the Dodgers in a crucial mid-season series, Caltrain released a video across all of its socials.
In the video, one Giants fan objects when his friend asks if they should take Caltrain to the game without providing a reason why. When the pair enters a car, they find that their Giants apparel has magically been replaced with Dodgers gear.
At this point, a narrator takes over, stating that “Driving is for Dodgers fans.”
“It just seemed like a fun way to encourage people to take advantage of our service and have some fun with the rivalry,” Caltrain spokesperson Dan Lieberman told SFGATE on Thursday.
Lieberman said that the video garnered 250,000 views on TikTok and Instagram in the first 24 hours. Now, it’s officially an award-winning ad.
Caltrain won the social media-specific award in the “Best Marketing and Communications to Increase Ridership or Sales” category, awarded by the American Public Transportation Association, which annually gives out AdWheel awards to honor creative ways that public transit entities can raise awareness and usage.
“I think it just speaks to the fact that, no matter what team you’re rooting for, it’s a lot easier to be able to take transit to get to the game,” Lieberman said. “Driving is just a rough way to get to it.
“Being able to just hop on the train, enjoy a beer on the ride up, check out the show, and then hop on it, let us take care of the ride home. It’s just a common-sense way to get to the game, and I think that’s something everyone can agree on.”
About Qwame Skinner
Qwame Skinner has loved both writing and sports his entire life. In addition to his sports coverage at Comeback Media, Qwame writes novels, and his debut; The First Casualty, an adult fantasy, is out now.