Baseball season is just around the corner, and Lysol is making it a point to celebrate the unsung heroes of locker rooms: equipment managers.
In a brand-new campaign, the Reckitt-owned company is teaming up with former MLB star Alex Rodriguez for a spot that unravels the secrets to beating the "post-game stink."
Dubbed "The Lost Bet," the one-minute ad starts with Rodriguez losing to a bet in a game of Rock Paper Scissors against Mike, an equipment manager. Because of this, he swaps roles with him.
Mike now gets to coach little league baseball, while Rodriguez is stuck cleaning up the locker room.
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"What a mess," Rodriguez says, as he rummages through used clothes in the locker room. Soon enough, the former Yankees member discovers Lysol's Laundry Sanitizer located in a nearby shelf.
"It says here it kills 99.9% of odor-causing bacteria in laundry," he says to himself, reading the bottle's labels.
He then takes the "secret weapon" for a spin, leaving athletes' clothing smelling new and fresh.
As the ad comes to a close, the original equipment manager returns to the locker room with injuries and a broken arm. "Little kids? Little monsters!" Mike hilariously quips.
Celebrating Locker Room Heroes
Rodriguez shared his decision in partnering with Lysol to celebrate those with the toughest and stinkiest job in the team.
"Equipment managers tackle piles of dirty laundry for their teams each day to keep everyone playing and feeling their best," he explained in a press release.
"I know first-hand the work that equipment managers put into a team, and that's why I'm partnering with Lysol to celebrate their off-the-field efforts that allow players to be their best on-the-field."
In line with the campaign, the disinfectant company is also partnering with the Athletic Equipment Managers Association (AEMA) to serve as its official sponsor.
Throughout the partnership, Lysol will give equipment managers around the U.S. "Stink Steward Stipends" to put into their AEMA memberships and advance their careers.
"Many people don't know that sweat can create a thriving environment for odor-causing bacteria, which leads to stink-filled laundry after a long game or practice," explained Nicole Lopez, Reckitt R&D Operations North America.
"Lysol Laundry Sanitizer is an essential for sports players and families alike to kill odor-causing bacteria on their laundry and leave clothes smelling fresh.
Editing by Katherine 'Makkie' Maclang