Trading card giant Topps has just launched a brand new spot to celebrate MLB MVP Aaron Judge's appearance on the 2025 Topps Series 1 cover athlete.
This marks Judge's 16th appearance on the cover of a Topps/Bowman box. However, this will be the first time he will grace the cover of Series 1, the brand's flagship collection.
To mark the occasion, the company invited Judge for a cover shoot, where he was surprised by special video messages from Spike Lee and 2024 Topps Series 1 cover athlete Ronald Acuña Jr.
For decades, the iconic trading card series has unofficially marked the start of the baseball season by showcasing its cover athlete, a designation reserved for baseball’s most dominant players.
View this post on Instagram
Judge's addition to the historic lineup cements his position as one of the MLB's all-time greats, following in the footsteps of stars like Shohei Otani, Julio Rodriguez, and Mike Trout.
2025 Topps Series 1 will be released on February 12 in hobby shops and retail stores.
With this short feature, Topps turned a regular product refresh into a heartfelt event for the baseball superstar.
By turning a routine product launch into an emotionally resonant moment, Topps leverages powerful brand storytelling to engage fans and collectors alike.
Face of the Game
The short documentary-style video opens with the premise of Aaron Judge walking into what he thinks is a normal Topps photoshoot.
Led to a massive wall of LED screens, Judge is treated to a special video greeting from legendary director and New York icon Spike Lee, who congratulates him for becoming a "larger than life" figure for New York City.
View this post on Instagram
After a quick tour through the streets of New York City, the video winds up at Yankee Stadium and showcases some of the star's top highlights from the 2024 season.
Next, Judge is treated to a surprise greeting from 2024 Topps Series 1 cover athlete Ronald Acuña Jr., who offers a short congratulatory message, symbolically passing on the torch.
The sequence concludes with the grand reveal of the 2025 Series 1 cover, showcasing Judge in a triumphant pose.
Last November, Topps launched a Wild West-themed ad starring a formidable cast of MLB legends, underscoring the company’s ability to combine sports and culture in innovative ways.
