Cobra Chickens hatch again on Civic Holiday
The London Majors’ April Fool’s joke that turned into a real marketing opportunity captures the essence of minor league baseball’s creativity in drawing fans and supporters.
(Photo: Isaiah Bergsma).
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What started as a joke has turned into one of the most successful marketing campaigns in London Majors history – an idea so ‘fowl’ that fans can expect the Forest City Cobra Chickens to make Labatt Memorial Park part of its annual migration – perhaps for years to come.
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Minor league baseball has a tradition of finding any way it can to get fans in the gates: Theme nights. Oddball stunts. Giveaways of all types. For franchises operating outside the major leagues, marketing team creativity is almost as important as on-field play when it comes to the bottom line.
“You get tired of the same old, same old. You’re always looking for something new, something creative to get people excited,” said Matt Hiscox, Media Relations, Photographer, and Manager of Online Presence for the London Majors.
With the blessing of Scott Dart, Majors President and Co-owner, Hiscox spent part of last offseason brainstorming with his fiancée about a fun April Fools’ Day joke to get fans laughing and excited about the upcoming season.
Hiscox landed on the idea of a fake rebranding that would see the century-old franchise rename itself to something so silly, so outlandish that nobody would take it seriously. The couple rolled through a host of potential names: Tactical Possums. Snowbirds. All good ideas, but they kept returning to one:
The Forest City Cobra Chickens.
No other idea rang as true to the London experience.
“We wanted something that tied back to London, something that captured what it’s like living in the Forest City,” he said. “When you’re walking around the city, downtown, even on Western’s and Fanshawe’s campus, anywhere really, you see geese. Everywhere. Occasionally, you spend that time avoiding being attacked by those geese.”
With a name in mind, the Majors marketing team finalized designs only days before the announcement. It was a wild look – it was perfect for a joke.
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On Tuesday, April 1, the Forest City Cobra Chickens hatched. First thing that morning, the team posted its announcement to social media and sent it via press release to area media, reading, in part:
The London Majors are excited to announce a bold new chapter in the team’s history with a complete rebranding. Starting with this season, the team will officially be known as the Forest City Cobra Chickens.
The new name pays tribute to London’s playful and unique local identity, inspired by the city’s thriving wildlife culture, where the term ‘cobra chicken’ has become a tongue-in-cheek reference to Canada’s famously feisty geese. The rebranding reflects the team’s commitment to embracing the spirit of the city with a fresh, dynamic identity.
The press release continued with a quote from Hiscox further selling the gag:
“We’re thrilled to introduce the Forest City Cobra Chickens. The new name captures the grit, resilience, and intimidating aspects that defines our team while continuing to be protective over our home field. We’re confident this new brand will resonate with fans and create an unforgettable game-day experience.”
The response was overwhelming. Media bit at the fun story idea, and fans, well, let’s just say they were wary but welcoming.
“The comments started coming out on Facebook, Instagram. People were excited,” Hiscox said. “They knew it was April Fool’s Day. But they were also kind of curious. ‘This is amazing.’ ‘Are they actually doing this?’ ‘I love the Majors, but this is incredible.’ ‘Those colours are awesome.’”
He continued, “It just didn't stop, and it kept going and going and going. I called Scott and said, ‘We have got to do something more here.’”
That’s when the joke was no longer just funny. It was happening.
(Photo: Isaiah Bergsma).
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In recent years, one-off games playing under creative names, special jerseys and hats have become a big part of minor league teams’ revenue streams. They excite local fans, as well as attract the attention (and dollars) from collectors around the world with no connection to the team.
The IBL is no exception, with teams like the Welland Jackfish rebranding to the Niagara Lawn Cocks for a few games.
For the Majors, a fanciful rebranding on April 1 with only digital concept art of jerseys was now going to take the field in a few weeks. Ownership green-lit merch, as well as committed to one game playing under the name Cobra Chickens.
With designs by Majors graphic designer Ashton Whalen, the team went live with online merch less than two weeks after the initial announcement. They sold out of three designs of hats within the first hour. They preordered more. Shirts. Jerseys. Sweatshirts. All gone in days.
“It just kept going,” Hiscox said.
Despite a DHL labour disruption that created shipping chaos, the orders have kept coming in, leading to record-setting sales for the franchise.
All that before the Chickens had even taken the field.
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On June 20, the Forest City Cobra Chickens made their debut – sporting an electric blue and hot pink uniform, featuring knee-high pants, high socks, and an angry goose logo.
On the field, the Cobra Chickens née Majors edged Welland 2-1 in 10 innings at Labatt Memorial Park.
In the stands, more than 2,500 fans attended the game, topping opening day attendance. Additionally, almost 300 pounds of food and $2,100 in cash were donated to the London Area Food Bank as part of the annual Home Run for the Hungry event.
The new uniforms were a hit with fans and players alike.
“I had so many players come up to me and say they needed sunglasses because these uniforms were so bright,” Hiscox laughed.
(Photo: Isaiah Bergsma).
“It blows my mind how well they looked on the field. You can have something that looks good on a piece of paper, or online, or in a 3-D rendering. But once you put it on the field, that’s the test if it really looks good. And these turned out really, really well.”
The Majors are not afraid to mix it up with their jersey selections, with Fathers’ Day, Canada Day, Christmas in the Park, and Salute to Service already having their own kits. But Chicken unis will now be birds of a different feather for the team.
The Cobra Chickens are expected to take flight a second time on Aug. 4 against Welland.
“It mixes it up, even gives a little bit of flair to the team,” Hiscox said. “The Majors are known for our classic, main jerseys. We want to be the best, whether it’s on the field, off the field, with our graphic design, our broadcasts, and, yes, with our jerseys, too.
“With the Cobra Chickens, it was something new, something that got people talking.”
For Hiscox, the marketing lessons learned from this moment will stick with him.
“You learn that you’re never ready for something to hit like this. I was a mess the day before we launched. What if this didn’t go well?” he continued. “But if you believe in something, then do it. This was an April Fool’s Day joke that went well, and now we can use it to bring in more fans.
“This is baseball. It’s fun. We had a great idea, we ran with it, and it has turned out well.”
The London Majors’ April Fool’s joke that turned into a real marketing opportunity captures the essence of minor league baseball’s creativity in drawing fans and supporters.