The San Diego Padres will recognize their TV broadcast team of Don Orsillo and Mark Grant with a talking Don and Mud bobblehead doll giveaway at the upcoming Padres vs. Arizona Diamondback games at Petco Park on Thursday and Friday, Aug. 17 and 18.
It’s the first time the Padres ballclub has featured a bobblehead giveaway for its two, high-profile TV broadcasters, a Padres spokesperson told Times of San Diego. However, other Major League Teams have created bobbleheads for its TV broadcasters.
“While other clubs have recognized their TV broadcast team in the past, we’re proud to celebrate ours as two of the best in the business,” the Padres’ spokesperson wrote in an email.
According to the Padres, the Don and Mud bobblehead includes a sound chip with a few familiar phrases from color commentator Grant and play-by-play announcer Orsillo, including Orsillo’s “down by way of the K” phrase.
The Padres’ two games again the Diamondbacks are designated as theme games. That means only theme-game ticket holders are eligible to redeem the bobblehead promotional item. Season ticket members can purchase the Theme Game item through their ticket account manager.
“We’ve limited this theme game package between two dates, Aug. 17 and 18, to provide multiple opportunities for fans to purchase this special ticket package,” the spokesperson said. “Only fans who purchase a special theme-game package will be able to receive this limited-edition item, celebrating the iconic broadcaster duo. This is not an all-fan giveaway.”
Orsillo was previously the TV voice of the Boston Red Sox from 2001 to 2015. He was then hired by the Padres to replace broadcaster Dick Enberg upon his retirement at the end of the 2016 season.
Grant is a former pitcher who played for 10 years (1984-1994) for seven Major League Baseball clubs, including the Padres (1987-1990). He has been broadcasting Padres games since 1996.
Many Padres fans know Grant by “Mud,” a nickname given to him by the former late Giants and Phillies coach Danny Ozark in reference to James Timothy “Mudcat” Grant Jr. (1935-2021), a pitcher who played 14 seasons. Mudcat Grant was the first black pitcher to win 20 games in a season in the American League and the first black pitcher to win a World Series game for the American League (1965, with the Minnesota Twins).
In 2019, a sports media website called Awful Announcing ranked the Padres TV team of Orsillo, Grant and Mark Sweeney as the best in baseball.
The Padres’ media communications staff declined a request to interview Orsillo and Grant for this story.
Taco Bell’s Social Media Sharing a Month of Free Taco Tuesdays
Taco Bell, the quick-service restaurant chain based in Irvine, is celebrating its “Taco Tuesday” trademark court win by giving away one free Doritos Locos taco to all customers at its 7,200 U.S. restaurant locations every Tuesday for one month, beginning Aug. 15 and continuing Aug. 22, 29 and Sept. 5.
In addition, on Tuesday, Sept. 12, Taco Bell will open a $5 million taco tab with DoorDash to pay for tacos ordered from any participating vendor selling Mexican food in every U.S. state except for New Jersey.
A Taco Bell spokesperson told Times of San Diego that advertising efforts for the promotion will consist primarily of a press release and paid social media, including Instagram, Twitter, Threads and TikTok.
The trademark tiff over the phrase “Taco Tuesday” began in May when Taco Bell filed legal petitions with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office to cancel two Taco Tuesday trademark registrations.
Taco John’s, based in Cheyenne, Wyoming, owned the trademark registration for “Taco Tuesday” in 49 states since 1989, while Gregory’s Restaurant & Bar in Somers Point, New Jersey, still holds the “Taco Tuesday” trademark for that state (the Sept. 12 offer of free tacos with DoorDash will not be available in New Jersey).
In July, Taco John’s opted to give up its claim to the phrase, citing high legal fees to defend it. Taco Bell argued that the phrase was too ubiquitous to be trademarked.
A Taco Bell statement said the purpose of the legal action was “to free the phrase for restaurants nationwide. Taco Tuesday belongs to everyone, from Taco Bell to Taco John’s to your favorite local taco spot. Now, any business will be able to use the phrase without legal repercussions, except in New Jersey.”
In Taco Bell’s press release, Taylor Montgomery, U.S. chief marketing officer, said, “Taco Tuesday belongs to all who make, sell, eat and celebrate tacos, and this free-for-all will not only thank taco fans who supported the cause, but will also spotlight local restaurants and vendors who can now embrace Taco Tuesdays without fear of legal action. When tacos win, we all win. We all win when Taco John’s decides to release its trademark registration, we all win when taco vendors everywhere are free to join the movement, and we all win when taco fans can freely celebrate and support Taco Tuesdays at Taco Bell or anywhere else.”
Rather than legal fees, Taco John’s said it will donated $100 for each of its nearly 400 locations to the nonprofit Children of Restaurant Employees, which provides financial support to those who work in the restaurant industry and have children.
The Taco Bell Foundation said it has matched Taco John’s $40,000 donation, plus committed to matching donations up to $1 million made from “rounding-up” purchases at checkout on Tuesday, Aug. 15, 22, 29 and Sept. 5. Taco Bell said its donations will fund the Taco Bell Foundation’s community grants program and the Live Más Scholarship for fans and team members.
Crowe Public Relations Adds Infantino as Client
Crowe Public Relations reports it has been named the agency of record for San Diego-based Infantino, a global baby and parenting lifestyle brand.
Infantino provides infant toys, toddler toys, carriers, nursing pillows, highchairs, playmats, gyms and transportation devices that are sold by major retailers, including Amazon, Target and Walmart, as well as specialty toy stores and e-commerce sites. Infantino was founded in 1978.
Crowe PR said it will plan and execute Infantino’s public relations and social media influencer marketing strategies through targeted media and influencer relations, messaging refinement and thought leadership.
“We are thrilled to begin our work with Infantino, which has earned the trust of parents worldwide after decades in the industry,” said Anna Crowe, Crowe PR founder and CEO. “The Crowe PR team is honored to work with Infantino’s team, and we are eager to further amplify their outstanding products and brand story through our strategic PR and influencer marketing efforts, connecting even more families with the remarkable quality and affordability that the brand offers.”
“Infantino is committed to creating more family time, togetherness and lasting memories for both parents and babies,” said Gretchen Tyker, senior VP of sales and marketing at Infantino. “Our collaboration with Crowe PR will enable us to reach even more families with our innovative and thoughtful products, enhancing the joy of parenthood and nurturing the precious bond between parents and their little ones.”
PRSA Accepting Entries for 2023 Bernays Awards
The Public Relations Society of America’s San Diego-Imperial Counties chapter is accepting entries for its 2023 Edward L. Bernays Mark of Excellence Awards program. Categories include community relations, integrated communications, issues management, public affairs, media relations and research and evaluation.
The submission period runs from Aug. 1 to Sept. 8. Entry fees begin at $80 per entry for members, $90 for nonmembers. Some entry fees vary depending on categories and entry submission date.
The early deadline is 5 p.m., Tuesday, Aug. 15. The main deadline is 5 p.m., Friday, Sept. 1. The late deadline is 5 p.m., Friday, Sept. 8. Late fees apply to entries received after Sept. 1.
Silver and Bronze awards will be presented at an in-person awards ceremony on Thursday, Oct. 26 at San Diego State University. The Silver award recognizes complete public relations programs incorporating research, planning, implementation and evaluation. The Bronze award recognizes public relations tactics consisting of individual items or components of campaigns.
This year’s awards program theme is “Best of San Diego and Imperial.” 2023 Bernays Awards committee members include Paulina Sierra, Blake Nelson, Jenny Mehlow and Barbara Cosio Moreno.
Entries will be judged by members of a partner PSAR chapter. More information about the awards is available at prsasdic.org/bernays/.
The awards are named after Edward L. Bernays, who is credited with launching the field of public relations in the 1920s. Often called the “father of public relations,” Bernays’ history-making campaigns explain why people eat bacon with eggs, women smoke cigarettes and bank managers join civic groups. He died in 1995 at age 103.
Rick Griffin is a San Diego-based public relations and marketing consultant. His MarketInk column appears weekly on Mondays in Times of San Diego.
