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The (WNBA) stars are aligning this weekend in Indianapolis for WNBA All-Star Weekend, and you can bet many of the league\u2019s sponsors will be there, too.<\/p>\n
In addition to the action at the Indiana Fever\u2019s Gainbridge Fieldhouse, which includes the 3-Point Contest and the Skills Challenge on Friday followed by the All-Star Game on Saturday, the roster of off-court events is deeper than ever, with a record 25 partners and licensees of the W lined up to be involved throughout the weekend, according to the league.<\/p>\n
This weekend, some brands are working to leave an impression as they court the WNBA\u2019s growing fandom with offers like access to athletes and exclusive merchandise.<\/p>\n
Liven things up: <\/strong>A growing pillar of WNBA All-Star Weekend is WNBA Live, the fan festival focused on fashion, music, and culture that\u2019s headed into its fourth year. Some of the league\u2019s biggest sponsors are hosting events at WNBA Live this year, including several Changemakers, brands committed to helping elevate the league beyond sponsorship dollars.<\/p>\n Fan focus:<\/strong> Marketers are leaning into fans\u2019 relationships with athletes as one way to make their mark on All-Star Weekend.<\/p>\n Wilson and Ionescu\u2019s personal brands are \u201cgoing to be very much in our experience,\u201d Sabina Ahmed, assistant VP of sponsorships and experiential at AT&T, told Marketing Brew, especially considering both athletes are powerhouses in fashion and have their own signature Nike shoe lines.<\/p>\n \u201cThe fandom around the WNBA is meant to be inspirational in nature\u2014inspiring the next generation of young girls so that they can see themselves in the sport,\u201d Ahmed said. \u201cWe want to make sure that we create an experience that\u2019s inspirational for a lot of the fans.\u201d<\/p>\n Marketing Brew informs marketing pros of the latest on brand strategy, social media, and ad tech via our weekday newsletter, virtual events, marketing conferences, and digital guides.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Merch mania: <\/strong>There will be no shortage of branded merch at All-Star Weekend, helping to fill a gap in the women\u2019s sports ecosystem.<\/p>\n Shoe charms, laces, towels, and tote bags are among the items people can win by playing Ally\u2019s arcade games over the weekend, according to Stephanie Marciano, head of sports and entertainment marketing. The brand also partnered with Jocelyn Hu, a popular designer in the basketball space, to create 50 bucket hats to sell on its website, Marciano said.<\/p>\n AT&T is in on the shoe-charm trend, too, offering them as a \u201cwelcome gift\u201d to fans that opt into text alerts from its \u201cAll-Star Access\u201d club, including info about merch drops.<\/p>\n Not all the perks are tangible. Ally is giving 1,500 fans free subscriptions to WNBA League Pass, the league\u2019s streaming service, for the rest of the season, and American Express is using its tried-and-true approach of offering cardmembers benefits like priority entry (in this case, to the All-Star Game and the Friday night events).<\/p>\n Mic\u2019d up<\/strong>: Podcasts provide another avenue for brands to get involved. Sue Bird and Megan Rapinoe are doing a live taping of their podcast A Touch More<\/em>, presented by Delta and Icy Hot, and Bird is also recording an episode of Bird\u2019s Eye View<\/em>, presented by Google Pixel and Nike. Colson and former Seattle Storm forward Theresa Plaisance are filming their series, The Syd + TP Show<\/em>, on the ground in Indy, with Ally presenting, according to Marciano.<\/p>\n And 1:<\/strong> Unrivaled, the 3-on-3 women\u2019s basketball league founded by WNBA stars Stewart and Napheesa Collier, will also be on the ground with an Unrivaled HQ, another opportunity for brands to connect with fans.<\/p>\n Sephora, which has increasingly leaned into basketball, is the presenting partner of that experience, and brands including Under Armour and Ally are also involved. Under Armour is partnering with lifestyle brand Round21 and artists Domo Wells and Meghan Wallace on a limited-edition collection of shirts and sweatshirts, and will also have a presence at WNBA Live, touting its new sneakers with Plum. Ally is creating an \u201cimmersive locker room experience\u201d at the HQ.<\/p>\n The competition for attention is stiff, but Marciano said it\u2019s good for the league and its partners.<\/p>\n \u201cA rising tide lifts all boats,\u201d she said. \u201cI want the fans to enjoy every brand, and experience every brand, and I feel like we have found some ways to stand out.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n
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