It’s a New Hampshire primary of a different sort, as the New Hampshire Fisher Cats (Class AA; Eastern League) are asking fans to weigh in on the official game hat to be worn by the team on Opening Day, April 14, 2016.
Voting for “We the Fans 2016” begins today and will take place on the new voting website, WeTheFans2016.com. The initial question will ask fans nationwide to determine which hat the Fisher Cats wear for the first game next season — a blue hat with a donkey logo or a red hat with an elephant logo. The two logos are throwbacks to the Fisher Cats’ original name, the New Hampshire Primaries, and will be accompanied by the team’s bipartisan jersey that is half red and half blue with Fisher Cats in script across the chest.
“We want to celebrate New Hampshire’s political heritage and national political importance by engaging fans across the country in a fun, unique way,” said Rick Brenner, Fisher Cats president and general manager. “‘We the Fans 2016’ asks fans nationwide, ‘red hat or blue hat’, and invites them to participate in New Hampshire’s first-in-the-nation tradition by casting their votes. We look forward to wearing our bipartisan jersey on Opening Day and seeing which hat the fans choose to go along with it.”
To launch the campaign, the team has partnered with branding experts Brandiose. From the idea’s infancy, Brandiose has been critical in logo design, voting strategies, and the look and feel of the campaign.
“The New Hampshire primary is one of the great events in American culture,” said Brandiose Partner Jason Klein. “And New Hampshire’s home-state team is the best club to lead baseball’s ‘We the Fans 2016′ campaign. Fans will love having fun this election season by voting for the donkey or elephant cap this baseball season.”
Nationwide votes will be tabulated with clicks for a red hat or a blue hat on the “We the Fans 2016” website. Fans can cast additional votes by purchasing the red or blue hats and by purchasing tickets to Opening Day from the Fisher Cats’ website, nhfishercats.com, or WeTheFans2016.com.
In addition to extra votes, fans who purchase tickets to Opening Day will be awarded a ballot that asks them to vote on ballpark experiences at the first game. The ballot will include questions about in-game music, trivia, and video clips, the patriotic color of the cotton candy, on-field games, and more.
The Fisher Cats have also created a fun, educational “We the Fans 2016” program to provide schools with a non-political way to teach students about the electoral process in our country. Educators should contact the Fisher Cats to obtain the free classroom materials.