The Chicago White Sox advertising campaign for 2009 is celebrating traditions unique to the baseball team and its fans. The campaign tagline is: There are traditions and there are White Sox Traditions."

This theme gives the White Sox and it's ad agency Energy BBDO/Chicago the chance to concoct all manner of wacky traditions and weave them into the advertising. The official White Sox campaign for the 2009 won't kick off until closer to the season opener in early April, but Energy BBDO already has completed two teaser commercials that offer a taste of what is to come. And the work leaves no doubt the agency is going for off-beat, oddball humor.

The first of the two teaser spots introduces us to a White Sox fan who starts growing a beard at the end of one season and doesn't cut it off until the next season begins. It's a tradition, apparently, that annoys his wife no end, who leaves little hints in the form of disposable razors whenever and wherever she can. But his wife's disapproval doesn't appear to phase this particular gentleman, who can keep track of when the new season is slated to begin by the length of his beard.

A second spot is all about the male head of family who loves to sit in the stands and catch foul balls and home runs. So we get to see this particular gentleman practicing catch with a pepper mill, a fish and various vegetables.

You get the picture. Both spots are obviously big on visual gags which depend for their humor on how much the particular gags amuse viewers. We were only mildly amused, but other, potentially more rabid White Sox fans may find these teasers more hilarious than we did.

Lew's view: B-