What Happened to the Goofy Mariners Commercials?

Spring Training 2023 is finally upon us and the hope for a new Mariners season, but where are the goofy Mariners commercials? You know the ones that used to feature Felix Hernandez disguised as Larry Bernandez, Ichiro hitting the ball past an insane shift, or who could forget the famous “Clapper” Edgar installed at the ballpark? The Mariners appear to have done away with these old gags in their videos. Switching to hype videos featuring highlights and players pumping up the fans by hyping the team.

Will the old Mariners commercials ever return? Did fans get tired of the funny commercials or do they miss them? There must be some explanation for why the franchise stopped producing these ads, which used to be filmed during Spring Training.

Perhaps the Mariners wanted to change their image and be taken more seriously. Although, there are plenty of jokesters on this team, willing to let loose and have a good time. Who could forget when Ty France was throwing seeds at players giving in-game interviews, or all the fun post-game celebrations in 2022?  

Since we have established this team can have fun, there must be another reason behind the disappearance of these funny commercials. Was it production costs? Does cheap management extend to funny promos? This did not stop the organization from 1980-2019, so we can rule out the cost of production. This leads us back to the Mariners marketing department. Did market research show fans were more interested in highlights and the thrill of success over humor? There is some evidence for this given the Mariners recent on-field triumphs and the sudden disappearance of the funny commercials.

Whatever the reason for the end of the silly Mariners commercials, there appears to be no explanation for why they are gone. Why do you think the goofy Mariners ads were pulled? Also, what ideas would you have for new ads if they returned?