x.com/Pirates/status/1913676035893195034/photo/1 https://shop.blueorigin.com/products/ns-31-crewneck-sweatshirt 3. MLB Team’s Bobblehead Giveaway Brings Thousands Major League Baseball stadiums are no stranger to promotional products. Even great teams sometimes need to be creative to fill 20,000-plus-seat stadiums for 81 home games each year, usually handing out some kind of promotional item to give fans another reason to come to the ballpark. The Pittsburgh Pirates don’t have a great team this season, but they do have a great young player in 22-year-old Paul Skenes, and the franchise recently leveraged Skenes’ ultra-fame with the power of promo to create a buzz they were barely prepared for. On April 19, the team had announced that the first 20,000 fans to show up to PNC Park in Pittsburgh would receive a free Paul Skenes bobblehead with their ticket. The results were undeniable. Although fans aren’t let into the stadium until 90 minutes before the game is scheduled to begin, a line began to form multiple hours early from fans who wanted to ensure they got their bobblehead. The demand was so intense that the line extended over the Roberto Clemente Bridge over the Allegheny River. The outpour of fans who wanted what is sure to become a collector’s item sparked the Pirates organization to announce that after fans who scanned into the game but did not receive one of the 20,000 bobbleheads would receive an electronic voucher to receive one. Skenes has already been labeled as the future of baseball. Last season, he won the National League Rookie of the Year after having been one of the most highly touted prospects in years. Within hours, dozens of the Skenes bobbleheads, supplied by Success Brands, had appeared on eBay listed for prices in the hundreds. 4. Blue Origin’s All-Women Flight Gets Promo Liftoff When New Shepard’s 11th human flight, NS-31, lifted off April 14, it wasn’t just another milestone for space tourism, it was a headline-grabbing cultural event. Blue Origin’s flight made history as the first allwomen crew since Valentina Tereshkova’s solo flight in 1963 and included pop icon Katy Perry, journalist (and Oprah’s bestie) Gayle King, STEM advocate Rhiannon Wilcox, pilot Gopi Thotakura and Emmy-winning broadcaster Lauren Sánchez – who also happens to be Blue Origin founder Jeff Bezos’ fiancée. Naturally, the merch had to match the moment. Enter the NS-31 collection: a limited-edition line that mixes retail polish and meaningful symbolism with just the right amount of spaceflight swagger. The NS-31 Crewneck Sweatshirt is soft, simple and perfect for post-launch lounging. The front is clean, with just the Origin feather logo, while the back tells a story with a blown-up version of the official mission patch. The symbolic details are easy to miss until you’re up close. Among them, a firework for Perry (obviously), a microphone for King and a character from Sanchez’s children’s book. For patch purists who just want to add a little flair to their beloved denim jacket, the NS-31 Mission Patch is sold on its own. With its bold design and layered meaning, it’s promo with purpose. PPAI • JULY 2025 • 59 Buzzworthy | Community
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