SumnerOne and the St. Louis Cardinals Hit a Home Run with CardBOARD Nation

As the official document technology provider of the St. Louis Cardinals, SumnerOne has collaborated with the MLB franchise to develop unique programs that benefit their community. Most recently, SumnerOne and the St. Louis Cardinals worked together to design a program for the 2020 season that would allow fans to feel connected to the team amid stadium attendance restrictions. Earlier this month, the St. Louis Cardinals, in partnership with SumnerOne, launched their CardBOARD Nation program—a new way for fans to cheer on the team at Busch Stadium safely, while also giving back to the Cardinal Nation community. With help from MPix, SumnerOne is proud to partner with the St. Louis Cardinals in their efforts to make CardBOARD Nation a reality.

The St. Louis Cardinals & SumnerOne

Much like SumnerOne, the St. Louis Cardinals prioritize partnerships with local organizations as part of their commitment to investing in their community. When it came to selecting a document technology partner, SumnerOne was one of the few remaining technology solutions providers in St. Louis. The Cardinals chose SumnerOne as their partner in 2012, after SumnerOne conducted a formal assessment of the Cardinals' document technology and proposed a solution that would optimize their print environment. Within a few weeks, SumnerOne reconfigured the St. Louis Cardinals’ device deployment to enhance their operations with a Managed Print Service plan catered to their print environment.    

Since 2012, SumnerOne and the St. Louis Cardinals have grown their partnership with special projects and programs that align with their shared value of investing in their community. Recently, SumnerOne and the St. Louis Cardinals joined forces with MPix to put fans in the stands safely amid the COVID-19 pandemic. 

The Payoff Pitch

In June of 2020, SumnerOne pitched the idea of filling Busch Stadium with cardboard cutouts to recreate the experience of a sold-out game for fans watching at home. Not just any cardboard cut-outs, but St. Louis celebrities, athletes, and home-town heroes alike. Fans would be able to submit their photos on the team’s website, and purchase a waterproof, high-resolution cutout of themselves to be placed in the stands of Busch Stadium. After the season concluded, the cutouts would be mailed to the fans for them to keep as souvenirs. Most importantly, proceeds from the program would go directly to Cardinals Care, the team's community foundation dedicated to improving the lives of children.

The St. Louis Cardinals decided to move forward with SumnerOne’s pitch and came up with the moniker “CardBOARD Nation” for the program. The search for a local print service provider capable of producing high-quality cardboard cutouts lead SummerOne and the Cardinals to MPix, a sub-brand of Miller’s Professional Imaging. Like SumnerOne, MPix is the highest quality provider in their vertical in addition to also being a family-owned business that has been operating in the Midwest for over 60 years. Given the similarities to SumnerOne’s company history and values, the St. Louis Cardinals chose MPix to power their CardBOARD Nation program.

Triple Play

To make CardBOARD Nation a reality, SumnerOne worked with MPix to fast-track production toward the end of July 2020. Within a week, cutouts of famous St. Lousians like Nelly and Andy Cohen, as well as every single St. Louis Cardinals employee, were installed in the stands of Busch Stadium. 

The St. Louis Cardinals officially announced their CardBOARD Nation program on August 17th and urged fans to wear red in their photo submissions. By the following week, proceeds benefiting Cardinals Care surpassed $250,000 and have continued to grow with each order. To get your own CardBOARD Nation cutout, visit the St. Louis Cardinals Website.