Ever since the Lionesses Euros win in 2022, the trajectory of women’s football has been rapidly growing. The sports industry is constantly evolving, and if you had to name one of the smartest ways to not only invest and get your brand into the world of sport, but to help continue the trajectory that women’s sport is on, it would be to tell a story.
A clear example where the use of storytelling helped the trajectory of a men’s football club was in 2022. ‘Welcome to Wrexham’, a documentary series was produced about Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney buying the Welsh football club Wrexham.
The question ‘Why Wrexham?’ was probably one of the most asked questions when the news was announced as neither Ryan nor Rob had an obvious interest in football and Wrexham wasn’t well known, in recent times, for being a successful club. The answer is that they wanted to tell a story. The thing that connects all of us in society is people. Footballers – and athletes in general – are idolized for their talent and society puts them on a pedestal, so by telling their stories, it humanizes them and connects them to us as fans.
There was a huge change that happened within the women’s game since the Euros win, but what actually happened? The answer, once again, is storytelling. In a recent panel discussion at Advertising Week Europe, Ugo Monye and Gabby Logan talked about the impact of storytelling in sport. Gabby raised the point of the value of having powerful female sporting role models inspiring the next generation of girls. Ugo agreed, and talked about the fact that Gen Z really care about things that matter; and how this is an opportunity for brands to play their part in the trajectory of women’s sport.
The lionesses appeal so much to the public because their stories draw people in. The lionesses all have grassroot stories and that’s what makes them so appealing to the fans. They want to be real. They want to tell you who they are and what they stand for. There is such a fight for equality – despite all the progress the women’s game has made, there is still a long way to go and the players themselves are the biggest mouthpiece. Being a footballer and an activist, in these times, seems to go hand in hand.
One of the biggest brands around today, Nike, executed this idea of storytelling perfectly throughout the Euros 2022 with their ‘Never settle, Never done’ campaign. Being a home tournament, they used English landmarks to project images of the Lionesses with phrases like ‘Leah Williamson is never done’ and ‘You’ve never seen England like this before’. All the places that the players were projected on, reflected what they were known for. Keira Walsh – known for her creativity in midfield – was shown onto the national gallery. Defender Demi Stokes was projected onto the Thames Barriers. These powerful images not only spread hype about the tournament but highlighted Nike’s support and used them as a pedestal to showcase the players. The Lionesses then reshared the images via social media, showcasing Nike too.
Coming up to the Women’s World Cup this year, brands have a massive opportunity to take this pinnacle of an event and get involved. By using the openness of women’s sport to their advantage, they can combine the story and values of their brand to a player’s story. Tell their stories in a new and inclusive way. Look into the connection between players and fans. Do not underestimate how attractive openness is – after all, people trust personalities.
The benefits of investing into women’s sport are endless. Not only in football is there the World Cup this year, but in 2025, the Red Roses (National England Rugby team) are hosting the World Cup. We all saw the impact and advantage of hosting a home tournament from the Lionesses home Euros in 2022, so this is another key chance for brands to tell a story and help continue the trajectory of women’s sport. Sport is a universal language and brands can play one of the biggest roles in helping push the trajectory, taking women’s sport to new heights.
Written by Ruby Joanne.
To read more sport-business related articles, click here.
