Case Study

Hitting it out of the park with Mary Brown’s Chicken

Earned Media Strategy

The Ask

In May 2024, Mary Brown’s Chicken set out to relaunch its popular Batter’s Box meal ahead of the Major League Baseball season. Operating in a crowded Canadian QSR market, the brand needed to cut through heavy competition while reintroducing a past fan favourite in a way that felt timely and relevant.

To spark renewed interest and expand its reach, Mary Brown’s formed a multi‑year partnership with MLB star and former Toronto Blue Jays player José Bautista. The goal was twofold: generate national media attention around the Batter’s Box relaunch and deepen the brand’s connection to Canadian sports culture by leveraging Bautista’s broad appeal to drive awareness and consumer engagement.

The Approach

To overcome these challenges, Mary Brown’s Chicken collaborated closely with José Bautista to create a high-impact, buzzworthy campaign. The strategy included a national press release to announce both the partnership with José Bautista and the Batter’s Box meal relaunch. This move was aimed at generating initial excitement and framing the collaboration as a major event for both the brand and the sports community.  A targeted media strategy focused on securing coverage from top-tier Canadian news outlets. We conducted key interviews with notable publications such as The Globe & Mail, Global News, CityNews, and SportsCentre.  Bautista’s involvement added credibility and created additional media buzz. His persona resonated with fans and attracted a lot of media interest. 

The Impact

Through a well-executed media strategy and a continuous stream of high-profile interviews, the campaign effectively captured the attention of millions of Canadians, generating over +27M earned media impressions. The partnership, combined with a strong connection to sports culture, successfully elevated the relaunch of the Batter’s Box meal and created significant brand engagement.

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