By Allison Zisko

Tervis’ Rich Kaplan took the mound at Wrigley Field in Chicago last month to throw out the first pitch at a Cubs-Red Sox game while scoring a victory for the Tervis brand.

Tervis lends advertising support to the Cubs and has one of three signs on the left field wall. The company also hosted a booth at a Cubs-sponsored block party before the game that included a dunk tank and Tervis giveaways; Cub great Ernie Banks was also on hand at the Tervis booth to sign autographs.

Kaplan, president of sales and marketing for the plastic drinkware company, was invited to throw out the first pitch, along with his sons, Ben and Norm, at the Father’s Day game. Kaplan, a lifelong Cubs fan who practiced ahead of time on the field where he played Little League baseball, threw what was “for me, a fastball ... others might call it a lob,” and said he thoroughly enjoyed the experience. “It was fun and exciting, but it was really about the brand,” he said.

Sports is a cornerstone of the Tervis business, which offers all types of professional and collegiate sports team logos on its tumblers, according to Kaplan, and the company’s affiliation with the Cubs was a test to see if the ad campaign “has legs.”

During the game, Cubs second baseman Darwin Barney got a hit to left field, and the Tervis sign was featured in multiple replays, Kaplan said. “All indications are this could be a tremendous beginning for us,” he said.