Endorsements of female athletes is an evergreen marketing strategy, but women’s sports is embarking on a new, more experiential era as the teams, leagues and individual players that once played to limited audiences find new fans, larger audiences and a fresh crop of passionate investors. For early movers in the event community, it’s an exciting time to align and activate with a growth industry and support the sports figures and franchises who have been there all along, but are finally getting the kind of visibility they deserve.
Here’s a snapshot of a recent wave of experiential programs that are elevating brands, sports and female athletes in innovative and meaningful ways.
A Fan-centric Vision for Sporting Events
When your event is described as “Coachella meets track meet,” you know you’re breaking new ground. And that’s exactly what Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian did when he reimagined the conventional track meet as a pop culture fan experience called Athlos 2024 that included a headline set by Megan Thee Stallion, celeb sightings, a red carpet for athletes and attendees and on-site activations, including a live crowning ceremony for the winners by sponsor Tiffany & Co. The event, which offers the largest-ever prize purse in a women’s-only meet, generated three million viewers.
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Clever Pre-game Partnerships
If you think the NFL has the lock on the pre-game fashion runway, click on over to the coverage of the female soccer athletes walking into the Kansas City Current’s stadium (the only stadium built specifically for a women’s soccer club) and get a good look at a partnership between the team and clothing rental brand Nuuly.
And over in Los Angeles, Urban Decay is activating its sponsorship as the official beauty sponsor of the WNBA’s Los Angeles Sparks by doing players’ makeup before games and media appearances. The brand also distributes samples at home games and sponsors the team’s arrivals tunnel.
Strategies that Crack into Male-dominated Sports
Professional race car driver Katherine Legge is one of just nine women to compete in the Indianapolis 500, and the only woman to compete in 2024. She raced with the support of e.l.f. Cosmetics, which activated a racetrack-themed “Lip Oil Change” at the event that featured a “pit crew” of “glow-up” artists, a dj and limited-edition merch. The activation also included a 500-drone display at the Indy 500 Drone Show celebrating Legge, plus digital extensions into Roblox and Twitch.
