Marketing bonanza with Chloe Kelly and the Lionesses: Businesses, pay attention!
The English women's national soccer team, the Lionesses, have gained significant cultural relevance and commercial success, making them an attractive proposition for brands looking to invest in long-term growth.
The team's Euro 2025 win was not just a sporting triumph, but a commercial milestone. Their success signals a more inclusive and representative era in sports, with engagement levels deep among fans.
Brands such as Pepsi and Google Pixel are focusing on building long-term value, not just visibility, in women's sports. Pepsi Max, for instance, ran an OOH campaign featuring players like Lauren James and Leah Williamson, using messages centered on ambition and national pride. EE's campaign following the Lionesses' Euro 2025 victory emphasized unity and confidence, reinforcing a commitment to inspiring the next generation.
Brands can effectively capitalize on the Lionesses' growing popularity and cultural influence by investing in high-visibility and empowering campaigns that celebrate the team’s achievements, align with their values, and highlight key players as brand ambassadors. Notable examples include Pepsi Max’s OOH campaign featuring players like Lauren James and Leah Williamson, using messages centered on ambition and national pride such as “Thirsty For The Final Roar.”
Players particularly marketable due to their visibility, leadership, and ambassador roles are Lauren James and Leah Williamson (already featured in major brand campaigns) and Lucy Bronze, who is recognized for her determination and inspirational story within the team. These athletes embody both on-field excellence and off-field values that brands want to align with, making them ideal figures for endorsements and partnerships.
Further, with four in five brands showing growing interest in women’s sports partnerships over the next five years, companies like Xero (an official Lionesses partner) illustrate opportunities to embed brand associations early in this growth phase. Brands can invest not only in traditional advertising but also community engagement and digital platforms to deepen fan interaction and amplify player narratives.
Women drive a majority of purchasing decisions in categories like cars, travel, health, and fashion. Brands that tap into the Lionesses' cultural influence can expect to reach a diverse and engaged audience, while also aligning themselves with a movement in the world of sports marketing.
Louise Johnson, CEO of Fuse, a global sports and entertainment marketing agency, considers the Lionesses a movement in the world of sports marketing. "The Lionesses have become full-spectrum cultural influencers, not just token ambassadors," she said. "Brands that can effectively leverage their rising cultural and commercial stature will reap significant rewards."
The WSL has the opportunity to convert the buzz from the Euro 2025 win into long-term growth in attendances and week-in, week-out viewership. Notable young talents like Michelle Agyemang, a 19-year-old Arsenal star-in-waiting, and Chloe Kelly, who has endorsements with brands like Land Rover and Calvin Klein, represent the future of both the team and the fanbase. Brands looking to build cultural credibility should take note.
In summary, the Lionesses' rising cultural and commercial stature presents a significant opportunity for brands. By leveraging strategic sponsorship, emotionally compelling storytelling, and high-profile player ambassadors, brands can effectively capitalize on this movement in sports marketing and reach a diverse and engaged audience.
- The English women's national soccer team, the Lionesses, have become full-spectrum cultural influencers, not just token ambassadors, in the world of sports marketing.
- Brands such as Xero, Pepsi, and Google Pixel, are capitalizing on the Lionesses' growing popularity and cultural influence by investing in high-visibility and empowering campaigns that celebrate the team’s achievements, align with their values, and highlight key players as brand ambassadors.
- With four in five brands showing growing interest in women’s sports partnerships over the next five years, the WSL has the opportunity to convert the buzz from the Euro 2025 win into long-term growth in attendances and week-in, week-out viewership.
- Women drive a majority of purchasing decisions in categories like cars, travel, health, fashion, and fashion-and-beauty, and brands that tap into the Lionesses' cultural influence can expect to reach a diverse and engaged audience, while also aligning themselves with a movement in the world of sports marketing.
- Players like Lauren James, Leah Williamson, Lucy Bronze, Michelle Agyemang, and Chloe Kelly, embody both on-field excellence and off-field values that brands want to align with, making them ideal figures for endorsements and partnerships in the lifestyle, entertainment, and social-media domains.
