WATCH: Larry David Returns as George Steinbrenner in 2024 Bowman Draft’s Nostalgic Commercial
How is Bowman Draft going to compete with last year’s marketing frenzy with Tom Brady re-imagined as an MLB star?
This time, Bowman is bringing back another NFL Hall of Famer and adding extra nostalgia into the mix.
A commercial for 2024 Bowman Draft Baseball features Denver Broncos legend John Elway as a Yankees draft pick with “George Steinbrenner” making the final call to draft “Elway!”
Fans may recognize that voice. It’s actor Larry David reprising his role as George Steinbrenner, which he did on Seinfeld.
Elway will have a card in 2024 Bowman Draft Baseball, which shows him in Yankees pinstripes.
While Elway has had baseball cards in the past, none have shown in a Yankees uniform. For example, his 2005 Topps Archives Fan Favorites card has New York Yankees on the front, but Elway is shown in his Stanford college uniform.
Being shown as a Yankee is not far-fetched. Elway was a multi-sport star and was chosen twice in the MLB Draft, first by the Kansas City Royals in the 18th round in 1979 and then by the Yankees in the second round in 1981.
The Bowman spot imagines what it was like when the Yankees had that magical pick in 1981. They had their choice of several future stars, including future MLB legend Tony Gwynn, which the GM of the Yankees tries to persuade Steinbrenner to go after.
But Steinbrenner was dead set on Elway.
“It’s gotta be Elway!”
The commercial, which was co-produced by Peyton Manning’s Omaha Productions, is a fun re-imaging of that time, with several Easter eggs thrown in for fans.
The GM mentions Keith Hernandez, tying the Mets star’s cameo from Seinfeld in the commercial.
Steinbrenner also ends the spot shouting out “Calzone time!”, which all Seinfeld lovers will immediately recall from the show.
2024 Bowman Draft Baseball is in store today and features dozens of baseball's newest prospects.
Susan is an award-winning journalist who spent over a decade working in the sports card industry. You can follow her at twitter.com/yanxchick