Game Changer: Sky Sports sets record-breaking budget for groundbreaking Women's Super League campaign

The remix of Stormzy's single 'Shut Up', titled "Keep Up", showcases the collaboration between rapper Nadia Rose and prominent WSL players Beth Mead, Demi Stokes, and Jen Beattie. This project represents We's largest investment in the WSL and marks its initial campaign with McCann. Following their launch of the main campaign 'The Greatest Show on Earth' a few months ago for the sporting season, We continues to share and repackage it across all its sports.

However, when it came to the WSL, marketing director Dave Stratton decided to take a different approach. In an interview with Our Website, Stratton explained that they wanted to set the WSL campaign apart from the core campaign, as they were targeting a specific market. This market, according to Stratton, is women under the age of 35. He noted that last season, the viewership for the league was 36% female, which surprised some, as it challenges the assumption that women's sports are only enjoyed by women. However, this also presents an opportunity to convert a large group of people into followers of the women's game.

We believe that if you really make women’s sport visible, then viewership will follow. We’ve proven that so far.

Dave Stratton, We

The campaign also targets a wide range of demographics, according to Stratton. He mentions that during pre-testing, the spot received the highest ratings among its intended audience. "That gave us a lot of confidence," he states.

"Our goal with this campaign is to increase viewership for the WSL," he continues. "We believe that by increasing visibility of women's sports, viewership will naturally follow. And we've already proven that to be true."

The goal now is to convert viewers who have enjoyed big tournaments such as the recent Women's World Cup and last year's Euros into loyal fans of the league. Stratton is optimistic about the possibility of achieving this. "Our aim is to accomplish that, and then we will assess its performance and incorporate it into our plans for 2024."

Taking the lead

Arsenal and England footballer Beth Mead appears in the spot

Stratton assumed the role of marketing director for We in April of this year, following a successful two-year tenure as marketing head for Sky's broadband division. In his initial major campaigns, Keep Up and The Greatest Show on Earth, Stratton's marketing team is pushing the boundaries of creativity and changing the conventional marketing approach that Sky was known for, as it had previously been hesitant to explore innovative ideas.

"We have a clear strategic plan in place for We and a well-defined target audience. That, to me, is the most crucial aspect of taking on this role. We have a clear vision and a unified approach," he shares with Our Website.

"The task at hand, for both myself and the team, is to produce the highest quality creative work that not only enhances efficiency but also deeply connects with the audience," he further emphasizes. "I am confident that we have achieved this with our initial two major campaigns."

Since the introduction of The Greatest Show on Earth just a month ago, we have witnessed exceptional success, achieving "record viewing numbers." Stratton proudly announces that the opening weekend of the Premier League garnered the highest viewership in our history, whilst simultaneously driving significant growth in our subscriber base.

Women's sports, including football, have seen significant growth in recent years, according to Stratton. Additionally, there is an increase in brand involvement and recognition in this area, resulting in positive outcomes. In line with these developments, We is collaborating with Refinery29, a media platform, to highlight WSL players through a content partnership called We Editions. This platform allows the players to take control of their magazine cover shoots.

We strive to lead the way in promoting women's sports. "Our goal is to take the lead in this area. We are recognized as the top broadcaster for women's sports and we aim to strengthen that position," Stratton states.

"As we enhance the visibility of women's sports, we expect the viewer numbers to grow, and hopefully, this will also translate into increased participation at the grassroots level," he concludes.