Budweiser, the sponsor of MLB (Major League Baseball) has come out with what it calls an “emotive new video,” titled “This Bud’s for 2…” to honor the legacy of legendary Yankees shortstop, Derek Jeter and the retirement of his jersey. The two-minute video, which went live Friday (May 12), shows Jeter hitting a walk-off RBI-single against Baltimore in his final at-bat at the Yankee Stadium.
Nearly two and a half years after Jetter played his last game for the Yankees his shirt has been retired, making him the 22nd player in team history to gain this honor. The video then goes around New York City, replacing the number two across different locations with Jeter’s 2 in pinstripes – on the Subway, a deli awning, a road sign, a chalk-drawn 2 in a fast food outlet, a fire truck, a neon 2 on a shop window and a taxi, among others. Jeter had reportedly communicated to Budweiser, “I’m honored MLB and Budweiser chose to celebrate my jersey retirement this way, and I’m really looking forward to being back at Yankee Stadium this weekend.” On Sunday, May 14, which was also Mother’s Day, the Yankees honored Jeter during a pregame ceremony with the retirement of his uniform number and the unveiling of his Monument Park plaque.
According to Brandwatch, the social media monitor, #ThisBudsFor2, with over 11.7 million impressions, had over 1,400 mentions till May 12. In 2014, after Jeter retired, brands like Nike and Gatorade had also created videos to honor the Yankee captain. He had founded Players’ Tribune in 2014, which he says, is a “new media company that provides athletes with a platform to connect directly with their fans, in their own words.” In response to the outpouring of emotions from Yankee fans, Jeter posted his own thank you to New York on the Players’ Tribune.