2015 marks the 30th anniversary of the science fiction classic, “Back to the Future,” and the Mud Hens will celebrate the film in a unique way.
“We could have done a themed jersey based on graphics and characters in the movie, but instead we are honoring the movie by doing our own interpretation of going back in time and going into the future,” Toledo Mud Hens Creative Director Dan Royer said in an email.
The “Back to the Future” theme debuts July 11, during a scheduled back-to-back doubleheader.
“We will go back in time during the first game, wearing throwback uniforms featured in the late ’70s/early ’80s. We will go into the future during the nightcap with our interpretation of what we think a Hens jersey will look like in the future,” Royer said.
“Back to the Future” isn’t the only blockbuster being celebrated at the ballpark this summer: There will be a “Jurassic Park” theme night June 6 as well in anticipation of “Jurassic World,” releasing June 12.
“Our Marketing [and] Promotions group has to constantly have a pulse on popular culture [and] current trends to provide the best entertainment value to our fans,” Royer said.
Once themes are chosen, Royer begins to design multiple concepts. He and his team will discuss ideas and choose designs for jerseys. This is a time for the team to be creative.
“Sometimes it’s best to try something literal with the design, creating a look that’s a spinoff of an item or apparel used in the show, movie or theme. We went very literal with our Bacon & Eggs jersey this year. Stay tuned for that design. It’s buzzworthy,” Royer said.
“There are other times where it’s more exciting to try to represent the spirit of the theme in our own way. ‘Back to the Future’ night is a good example of that. We could have created a jersey that looked like something that Marty McFly would have worn. But instead, we decided to have fun with our doubleheader by doing a past and future jersey.
“The past jersey was a redesign of an actual Hens jersey used in the past. For the future jersey I had to try to envision what a Mud Hens jersey might look like in 15-20 years,” he said. “I wanted to make it look futuristic, but still look like a baseball uniform.”
Jerseys worn during the “Back to the Future” games will be auctioned off and proceeds will go to charity. Other themed nights this season include Veterans Appreciation Night with camouflage jerseys on May 23 and the Bacon & Eggs night with the “Egg” themed jersey on Aug. 6.
“Overall our hope is that the jerseys are fun for the fans and help to tie in to the fun theme nights we have during the summer,” Royer said.
