A Dose of Disruption: The Sizzling Season of Sports Edition 🏅

In this edition of A Dose of Disruption, we’re turning our attention to a sizzling summer of sports. 

Disclaimer: we know it’s not summer everywhere around the world right now.  

We believe in capturing lightning in a bottle—moments where energy, passion, and innovation unite to create something extraordinary. This summer, the world’s eyes are fixed on the Paris Olympics and Paralympics, the Euros, the US Open, and a plethora of other sporting events where magic happens every single day. 

Sporting arenas have always been fertile grounds for disruption. In this edition, we’ll explore how sports and creativity intersect to create unforgettable brand experiences.

The future of fandoms in sport 👥

The Future of Sport is a four-part series from TBWA’s cultural intelligence unit Backslash and creative agency Dark Horses . It unpacks what will—and, more importantly, what should—come next in the world of sport. In their newly released second chapter, they explore how and why expressions of fandom are evolving. 

New technologies, ownership models, and media coverage offer sports fans unprecedented intimacy and interactivity. This chapter delves into these exciting developments and provides guiding principles for brands aiming to make a lasting impact in sport.

Download the report now at backslash.com.

And don't miss the first chapter, which explores how sports, traditionally male-centric, are now being reimagined through a gender-inclusive lens.

Women’s sport IS the moment 💥

TBWA\Chiat\Day US CEO Erin Riley recently joined a brilliant group of athletes and CMOs at the Cannes Lions Festival as they explored the importance of investments in women's sport and promoting female athletes.

Speaking at the Omnicom Cove, Erin was joined by PepsiCo 's Mark Kirkham , Vans ’ Drieke Leenknegt , LSU Women’s Basketball Champion Flau’jae Johnson, Unilever ’s Nuria Hernández Crespo , Professional Skateboarder Beatrice Domond and Fuse 's Louise Johnson . 

On the future of the industry, Flau'jae Johnson shared, “it’s time for women to come in and change the game". Beatrice Domond echoed similar sentiments, commenting, “have faith in women’s sports, because I feel like that's what I had and I wouldn't even be in this room without that”.  

For brands, there are definite advantages to investing in women’s sports. Fuse’s Louise Johnson emphasized this, stating, “Brands go where the consumer is. We are all here to serve consumer-led brands. If the consumer shifts, the brands are going to shift. The power that we have is to be instigators for the brands to change.”

Erin made clear to the audience the difference between simply admiring women’s sports, and actively championing them, saying: "Women's sport isn't having a moment. It IS the moment.”

2023 marked a pivotal year for women's sports, evidenced by a fourfold increase in coverage and significant viewership growth in major events like the Women’s World Cup and NCAA basketball. Looking forward, it’s believed women’s events will surpass men’s in global viewership for the 2024 Paris Olympics.

A TikTok broadcast changed women’s sport 🏉

Despite the success of the Women’s World Cup last year, we all know that there is still a long way to go when it comes to supporting women’s sport in the mainstream media. 

That’s why New Zealand telecommunications provider 2degrees and TBWA\New Zealand partnered to create the world’s first TikTok broadcast of the Super Rugby Aupiki final between the nib Blues and Chiefs Manawa.

With specialized presenters, production and audience participation both online and on the field, the broadcast was a roaring success - the number of online viewers was five-times the number of people who attended the match in person.

Speaking to Little Black Book’s Casey Martin on how this will change women’s sport and the future of social media marketing, TBWA\NZ’s CEO Catherine Harris said “Watching, supporting, and being involved in women’s sports shouldn’t be seen as supporting a cause or as charitable - these are amazing world-class athletes playing at an extremely high level and being hugely entertaining. 

“To be able to reflect this and get a whole new audience involved in an immersive and entertaining way, was awesome.”

Yes, it’s sport. We can also have a laugh. 😂

Sitting on the Entertainment Lions for Sport jury, TBWA’s Global Chief Creative Experience Officer Ben Williams saw first hand at Cannes the influx of creative work fueled by sport and sport culture. 

He told Fast Company in an Instagram video; “we’re getting into a world where brands are really showing up, and we saw a lot of work in the women’s sports world. One of the ambitions and the hopes of the jury is for these things to be used as a blueprint to celebrate and showcase women’s sport in the future.” 

He also shared his key judging takeaways from the week with Ad Age . “It was refreshing to see brands not only celebrating and recognizing performance, but taking a lighter approach along the way… work that didn’t take itself too seriously, reminding us that the performances and accomplishments are great, but we can celebrate them in ways that put a smile on people’s faces.”

Lighten up and add a sprinkle of comedy to your next sports campaign.

Adidas says You Got This 🫵

There’s a lot of pressure this summer in sports - especially in football. 

The new Adidas campaign created by TBWA\London and TBWA\NEBOKO shines a light on how, alongside excitement, international football can take a toll on even the most focused players.

The film is inspired by research from Neuro11, says Marketing Beat, which highlighted that players are three times as likely to miss a penalty when playing at international level than when playing for their club.

Soundtracked by David Bowie and Queen’s iconic ‘Under Pressure’, the film reminds footballers to reframe pressure and focus on the positive rallying cry “You Got This” as they walk on to the pitch at this year’s biggest sporting tournaments.

“Well it’s only the weight of the nation, just like it’s only noise. It’s only expectations, it’s only opinions,” David Beckham narrates.

Adidas global brands comms VP Florian Alt says: “We hope our rallying cry, ‘You Got This’, invites athletes of all levels to overcome pressure and achieve their personal possibilities in sport”.

AUDITOIRE follows the Olympic Torch Relay 🔥

In anticipation of the Paris 2024 Olympics, the Olympic Torch Relay has begun. It is celebrating the values of sport and culture throughout France, as well as the richness, diversity, and dynamism of its regions. 

AUDITOIRE , a leading experiential agency and part of TBWA, has been following the path and creating captivating content for Banque Populaire and Caisse d'Epargne, both official partners of the Games.

Similar to the grand spectacle of the Tour de France, AUDITOIRE is meticulously following two floats as they journey through 400 cities, and each day is marked by the ceremonial lighting of the cauldron in the host cities, creating inspiring content at every stop. Definitely worth a follow: Voile Banque Populaire and Caisse d’Epargne Côte d’Azur.  

With just days to go, we can’t wait for the summer of sports to continue.

Until next time 👋

The next Dose of Disruption is coming soon.