Pharrell Williams Steps up to the Plate for MLB’s 'October Hits Different' Spot
Major League Baseball unveiled ‘October Hits Different,’ a new campaign that introduces the 2025 MLB Postseason with music as powerful and dramatic as October baseball itself. Much like a maestro directs our emotions through music, MLB’s players become conductors of fan emotion with every game-altering swing, strikeout, or play when the stakes are highest. To tap into this parallel, MLB and Good Sports Creative teamed with music and cultural icon Pharrell Williams to curate a soundtrack that embodies the passion and intensity of playoff baseball.
A suite of TV spots transport Pharrell onto the field, where he conducts the Voices of Fire gospel choir and a 25-piece live orchestra in an adaptation of the choir’s new song ‘Are You Ready?’ - which serves as a rallying cry for fan anticipation of the journey to the World Series. Through music and footage of awe-inspiring plays by stars such as Shohei Ohtani, Aaron Judge, Kyle Schwarber, Cal Raleigh, the campaign builds a soundscape that mirrors the glory of October baseball. The work was conceived by sports-specialist agency Good Sports Creative and directed by Grammy Award-winning director Dave Meyers.
“The Major League Baseball Postseason is pure emotional theatre. Every pitch, every swing takes you on an incredible ride—from anticipation to disappointment to absolute euphoria, sometimes within the same inning,” said Josh Bogdan, founder and chief creative officer, Good Sports Creative. “Baseball players don't just compete; they conduct our emotions. They control the tempo, build the tension, and deliver the moments that give you chills.”
“That’s why Pharrell, a legendary producer and composer, was the perfect partner to collaborate on a campaign soundtrack to capture these powerful emotions. When he played ‘Are You Ready?’ by Voices of Fire, the hook seamlessly translated the anticipation we feel for Postseason action. The energy and passion with which Voices of Fire sing and move elevated the entire concept,” continued Josh.
The campaign features 5 total TV spots, with additional :30 spots to be customised to air during the MLB Division Series, League Championship Series and World Series. With Pharrell, Voices of Fire choir, and University of Miami’s Henry Mancini Institute Orchestra providing a consistent musical framework, these spots will highlight star players in action based on the advancing MLB teams in each Series. The campaign will air nationally on broadcast TV, MLB Network, MLB.com; include paid social, digital and OTT; and be played on stadium jumbotrons throughout the Postseason.
MLB is aiming to continue its momentum in 2025 after last year’s World Series, which was the most-watched since 2017 - averaging 15.8 million viewers for FOX.
‘October Hits Different’ is the newest work under MLB’s ‘Baseball is Something Else’ platform. The campaign represents the second consecutive year MLB has partnered with Good Sports Creative for Postseason work. Good Sports created MLB’s 2024 World Series spot Empire State of California Love, which amplified the cultural relevance of the NY Yankees v. LA Dodgers matchup by tapping into iconic East v. West anthems Jay-Z and Alicia Keys’ ‘Empire State of Mind’ and Dr. Dre and Tupac’s ‘California Love.’ The agency also handled MLB’s recent ‘You Seeing This?’ campaign with Adam Devine.
