King of Prussia-based baseball bat manufacturer Victus Sports was looking for a reason to do an advertisement with its client, Brandon Marsh. The Phillies outfielder’s stellar season — and first All-Star Game nod — gave Victus the perfect excuse.
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“He was just a perfect fit,” Victus marketing director Doug Trimble said. “Just personality-wise, and obviously being a Philly guy made the most sense. The stars just aligned that he ended up being one of the best hitters in baseball this year.”
On Wednesday, Victus posted a teaser for the company’s new Philly Cheesesteak-inspired bat on X. The video shows Marsh, decked out in his full Phillies uniform, order a “Victus with onions” at Angelo’s Pizzeria. Marsh then walks out of the South Philly staple to unwrap an abnormally long sandwich. Grinning, the “wet bandit” reveals a Victus bat hidden under the parchment paper.
An All-Star Cheesesteak order from Brandon Marsh. The Victus..with Onions. #MLB #ALLSTARGAME #Philly #Cheesesteak pic.twitter.com/cu5ovIGHlK
— Victus Sports (@VictusSports) July 8, 2026
In the background, customers look on in awe at Marsh, who looks like he walked straight out of the outfield.
Those reactions were real. Between Marsh’s stringent schedule with the Phillies and Angelo’s limited hours, Victus decided it would be easiest to shoot the commercial quickly while the restaurant was open. The ad, along with a few shorter spots posted to social media, were completed in one-take.
“It was a cool moment,” Trimble said. “[Marsh] thought it was cool. He had a blast the whole day. I was kind of just running through concepts with him, and he was down for all of it.”
Why Angelo’s? Trimble will take the credit for picking the restaurant over the likes of a more nationally recognizable cheesesteak shop — like Pat’s or Geno’s.
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For one, Angelo’s steak on a seeded roll is his personal favorite. More important though, Trimble felt partnering with the pizzeria would show Victus is a brand that is true to the area. Philadelphians, as he pointed out, are usually more drawn to a place like Angelo’s than more traditional spots.
“It’s just letting people know that we’re local to Philly,” Trimble said. “This is our hometown All-Star Game. Doing the whole collection with cheesesteaks and Marsh and the Phillies is just a part of that storytelling we’re trying to do.”
When designing the bats themselves, there were also conversations around what type of steak they should resemble.
Some wanted “whiz” on the bat while others wanted the cheese to resemble cooper sharp. Ultimately, the team decided to feature a more generic cheesesteak on the bat with “Philly” written on it with cheese.
The bats, which were officially released on Friday, are currently for sale on Victus Sports’ website.
Baseball’s biggest stars are descending on Philadelphia for the 96th All-Star Game at Citizens Bank Park on July 14. Follow all of The Inquirer’s coverage here.
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