Landon Howell

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Snakes Alive

The best source of marketing and product inspiration is your audience.

A few days back, a guy took one sheet of paper to a playoff baseball game. It read, "SNAKES ALIVE"

It wasn't even centered on the paper, which made it even more endearing.

After a TBS cameraman broadcast the sign, fans embraced the phrase, and it became the official slogan for Arizona's journey to the World Series.

[The Athletic]

When the top of the second inning ended the broadcast cut to a commercial break, but not before TBS cameras caught Guzzardo holding up his simple rallying cry. The perfect minimalist encapsulation of a small market team’s hopes and dreams.

That phrase caught fire. So too did the D-Backs, who won Game 3, and four of their next five to reach their first Fall Classic in 22 years. And their historic success will forever be tied to Guzzardo’s now-unforgettable sign — though the creator himself can’t recall where he left the original.