The Royals have just announced that they’re selling space on their uniforms to a convenience store chain, whose logo will stick out like a bright, sore thumb on the team’s jersey sleeves. Terms were not disclosed.
As you can see in the photo above, the advertisement will appear on each player’s front-facing sleeve, depending on the player’s handedness, to maximize TV exposure. The team’s “KC” logo patch will be relegated to the less-exposed sleeve.
I usually don’t mention the name of the advertiser in these posts, but I’m going to do so this time: It’s QuikTrip, which is notable because the team’s press release talks a lot about how the Royals and QuikTrip will be working to increase literacy in the Kansas City community. That’s a laudable goal, but leave it to MLB to promote literacy via a company whose name includes a misspelling of the word “quick.” Well done! (Of course, promoting literacy is also a goal that the team and QuikTrip could pursue, either independently or jointly, without a sleeve advertisement.)
Anyway … The Royals’ move leaves 12 MLB teams that are still ad-free: the A’s, Cubs, Mariners, Nationals, Orioles, Phillies, Pirates, Rangers, Rays, Rockies, Twins, and White Sox. (The other 17 teams who’ve whored out their uniforms to advertisers, aside from the Royals, are the Padres, Red Sox, D-backs, Angels, Astros, Reds, Marlins, Mets, Cardinals, Tigers, Guardians, Yankees, Blue Jays, Brewers, Dodgers, Giants, and Atlanta.)
I don’t even understand why a convenience store chain needs to advertise. I stop at the one nearest my house or work or at whatever Interstate exit I run out of gas. Does this just make the CFO feel cool?
FOMO?
Mind you, I’m not trying to justify this agreement. But, the QT’s around me have what amount to frequent shopper cards. The cards give you a discount on gasoline and I gather have the common “buy 10 get one free” program. So, the concept of customer loyalty does exist in the convenience store industry.
Might sound dumb, but I’ve stopped going to Kum & Go since it was announced that they would be rebranded to Maverick stores. Kinda question that from a business perspective, as it seems like all that did was draw attention that the company was no longer Iowan owned, vs the two bigger competitors (Casey’s and Kwikstar/trip depending on state) still are Midwest owned.
I’ve always been somewhat surprised at how much QuikTrip advertises locally, as they’ve built up a decent amount of loyalty/goodwill as the “good” gas station/convenience store chain in the KC metro.
That being said, my best guess as to their doubling down on advertising is due to another chain with a similar reputation of being a “good” one – Casey’s – aggressively expanding in the area.
So the literacy promotion thing. It’s not quite virtue signaling, but close. (Not that QT and the Royals don’t value literacy, but it seems like announcing this is supposed to make the ad less awful). “Well, yes, it’s an ad, but look at all the good they’re doing!”
Yes, that’s why I said they could pursue this worthy goal without a sleeve ad.
Bothersome that the ad patch dictates where a uniform element is placed. It’s one thing if it’s like in the Super Bowl where things get somewhat shuffled around on the chest. To me, it’s completely different when an ad can eject a standard element to an entirely opposite sleeve!
I hate these idiots who are ruining pro sports. -C.
The most hideous thing about so many of these sleeve patches is how much they stand out. This may be the worst offender: Bright red on an otherwise very consistent blue & white uniform. I can’t think of a way in which it could be more of a complete departure from what the Royals normally look like.
Just brutal.
I don’t like ad patches, but they could be much less irritating. You know how fancy-pants suburbs make chain restaurants conform to their arbitrary building appearance regulations? So like McDonalds is in brick with a wooden sign and the logo in metallic gold paint, stuff like that? Why can’t sports leagues, who would seem to have more influence than random suburbs in Ohio, insist on that as well? Like, a sleeve patch, but with the background the same color as the jersey and all logos in team colors. In the photo at the top of the article, change all the red to white, and then render the QT in royal blue with a powder blue drop shadow.
Much like the Rangers, we can now debate whether the Royals are a blue team or a red team.
Give it a few weeks & the “We Heard You” press release will come out with an announcement that the patch will now be blue. (But still obnoxious & hideous)
Boo.
Holy crap. They took one of the classiest home unis and made it look absolutely horrendous.
Example #817498 why I agree with your MLB uni rankings having all the ad-clad teams ranked at the bottom…
Gotta pay for that proposed stadium. That looks terrible.
Taxpayers will be footing most of the bill for those nifty downtown digs…and luxury box leases will pay for the rest?
The ad money is pocket liner.
Those look like gray road jerseys. Is that the new “cream” home uni??
If the patches aren’t consistent, they we can do away with the term “Uniform” and go to “Costumes.
I actually gasped when I saw it. So bad.
This is the worst thing to happen. Just, in general.
“Terms were not disclosed” translates to “If the Royals were making a lot of money on this, they would say the amount. They must be getting paid less than $1 million a year.”
Actually, we don’t know that at all. Many teams and/or advertisers often prefer to keep the details private for various reasons, regardless of the size of the deal.
Please don’t post unfounded assertions on Uni Watch. Thanks!
Fair enough. I would like to point out this is the second sleeve advertiser to incorrectly spell “quick”. Atlanta wears a “Quikrete” ad patch.
A sad day as a Royals fan. I knew it was a matter of time, but no less easy when it happens. And it’s red?! There should not be one thread of red on a Royals uniform!
Would be a great patch for their neighbors at Arrowhead… but wow that’s an eyesore
Wow… that rivals the Houston and Atlanta ad patches for just extreme out-of-place ugliness. And you all know how I feel about Atlanta’s ad patch in particular…
A comical choice
I’ve never been that bothered by all of the advertising.
I really haven’t.
I understand it’s a personal choice but there’s plenty more to reserve my feelings for…
Buc’ees is next, just watch. Astros or Rangers maybe.
God, that is brutal. Comically out of place on a white and blue uniform. Which is obviously the whole point. Not going to grab attention by blending in. Whores.
Looks very amateurish. Too bad, they had a very good uniform in KC.
I think there’s some real good opportunity with these patches but most teams will not capitalize on it. They should advertise for companies that are local to the team (e.g. Phillies could use tastykake or Wawa). I think that would really be a cool feature rather than teams advertising major corporations like the Blue Jays with TD bank.
Actually, most of the sleeve advertisers are indeed local to the team’s market (although the Royals’ isn’t).
Guess Kwik Trip can go with the Twins…
Sad that they get a promotional photo with the players smiling and pointing at the patch. Wonder how much they got paid to do that.
Woof.
Just commented on the Devil’s little patch. This is capitalism. Sponsoring bathroom breaks(brought to you by Ty-D-Bowl)is the American way. But seeing the kind of money soccer throws around, of course you’re going to see Team Spotify vs. FC Lego.
Yes, thanks, we all know that it’s capitalism. But that doesn’t make it somehow exempt from critique. Here, read this: link
I’m madder about these new cheap shirts with the tiny lettering. They’re just a notch above those nightmare ‘Great Britain’ shirts at the WBC. That’s where capitalism cuts corners.
Here’s an idea: If you truly HAVE to sell a sleeve ad, how about something that connects to the name of the team or city? Crown Royal Cola? KC Masterpiece barbecue sauce? KC and the Sunshine Band?