We’re halfway through 2024, sports fans and, like every other year, sports businesses and brands from all over the world are doing their best to captivate their target audience and leave a lasting impression.
And as brands continue to push their creative boundaries and wow us with their ads and campaigns, we’re here to cheer them on and celebrate the best of the bunch!
Which is why today’s blog is bringing you the best sports marketing campaigns of the year! These campaigns have not only grabbed our attention but have also set new standards for creativity, storytelling, and impact.
Read on to see what brands made the list!
2024’s Best Sports Marketing Campaigns and Why They Worked
P&G’s Thank You Mom campaign, hilarious Super Bowl ads, and inspiring World Cup ads; we’ve seen plenty of fantastic sports marketing campaigns in our time.
And whether they’re promoting major sporting events, sports equipment or apparel, or just building brand awareness, they all manage to achieve something special while doing so.
So, in the spirit of athletes everywhere, let’s take a closer look at some of 2024’s best sports marketing campaigns and why they work so well!
1. Nike: You Got This
With the Paris 2024 Olympics opening ceremony kicking off today, Nike wants to remind girls out there that they’ve got this!
Aimed at empowering young girls through sports, this campaign features all-star athletes like Rayssa Leal, Jordan Chiles, and Bebe Vio and how they tackled the obstacles on their journey to stardom.
Why it Works: This campaign, like many of Nike’s wildly successful campaigns, works because it creates an emotional connection with its audience.
Famous athletes seem like they’re on another level from us “normals,” but by featuring relatable stories from these women who have faced and conquered their challenges, Nike reminds us that they’re people too and inspires viewers, particularly young female athletes, to believe in their own potential and capabilities.
2. Morgan & Morgan X Pittsburgh Penguins
This impactful ad campaign was a result of a partnership between the NHL’s Pittsburgh Penguin and Morgan & Morgan, one of the largest personal injury law firms in the country.
The goal for both Morgan & Morgan and the Penguins was to boost brand awareness and create a deeper connection with the community, a goal we think succeeded!
There were many aspects of this campaign, featuring billboards, TV spots, and social media posts but the standout among their efforts, however, was probably their “Mic’d Up Moments” series (seen in the embedded video above), giving fans a behind-the-scenes look at their favorite hockey players.
Why it Works: The Mic’d Up Moments series works because these videos feature authentic, unscripted, and genuine actions between a player and his teammates and fans.
The video above is an example from this series and features Pittsburgh Penguin Jeff Carter during his final game with the NHL, capturing the raw emotions and candid moments that sports fans love to see. In this heartfelt segment, fans witness Cartner’s final interactions with his teammates, his reflections on his career, and the moments that defined his time with the Penguins.
The video is raw, it’s emotional, and it honors a beloved player on the team, effectively connecting to a local audience on a personal level.
3. This Girl Can: Let’s Lift the Curfew
This Girl Can is a campaign launched by Sport England, a public body in the United Kingdom.
It’s designed to both inspire and encourage women of all ages, backgrounds, and fitness levels to get out there, get active, and get healthy by participating in more physical activity!
The “Let’s Lift the Curfew” campaign shown above is an initiative aimed at encouraging more women to feel safe and confident about being active and exercising, even after dark.
Why it Works: By raising awareness and addressing the fears and concerns that many women have about running or working out during the evening or nighttime hours, this campaign validates many women's fears.
And like the other two entries depicted above, validating and relating to your audience is crucial for building trust and making that emotional connection.
The approach also creates a sense of solidarity and support, helping to create a community of women who share the same experiences and can support each other in overcoming their fears and embracing a more active and confident lifestyle!
4. Thee Paris Olympics 2024
As we mentioned earlier, this is an Olympic year, and we can’t think of a better time for sports marketing!
This campaign by NBC to promote the Paris Olympics merges the worlds of sports, television, music, and cultural celebration by showcasing popular rapper, Megan Thee Stallion, in iconic Parisian settings to showcase French culture and the diversity that the Olympics always represent!
Why it Works: Sports, music, and television: Can you think of three industries with more fans?
By merging Megan Thee Stallion with the Olympic games and regular TV watchers, NBC has successfully engaged the audiences of all three! This move taps into the popularity, younger demographic, and widespread appeal of Megan Thee Stallion’s fanbase, along with the Olympic games’ viewership to create a campaign with huge reach and appeal!
5. Adidas: You Got This
Much like their “Impossible is Nothing” campaign, Adidas’s You Got This is an extension of their line of inspirational marketing efforts.
This campaign is designed to empower young athletes and others to believe in themselves and their abilities, no matter what challenges they might face, by repeating to themselves the motivational reminder, “You Got This.”
Why it Works: Like others in this list, this inspirational campaign works by creating an emotional connection.
It also features a wide range of different athletes, influencers, and even everyday people from a variety of backgrounds, promoting diversity and equal representation and guaranteeing that fans are going to see someone they can relate to.
6. Puma: Magnus Carlsen and Pep Guardiola
Chess and football (soccer) don’t quite seem like two activities that can be paired together but somehow Puma makes it work.
In this ad campaign, Norwegian chess grandmaster Magnus Carlsen is featured alongside Manchester City football (soccer) manager, Pep Guardiola to remind their audience that Puma’s gear is not only for physical sports but for mental sports too!
Why it Works: By featuring two high-profile guys who are leaders and influencers in their respective fields, Puma gains attention from two very diverse audiences: sports fans and chess fans!
Blending these two figures not only combines the followings of both Carlsen and Guardiola but highlights the versatility of Puma’s products!
7. WNBA Pride
Few celebrate diversity and inclusion like the WNBA.
Though most professional sports teams recognize Pride Month in June, we don’t have to think back too far to remember a time where they didn’t.
The WNBA was the first professional sports league to embrace Pride Month in their marketing and media back in 2014 and now, 10 years later, their Pride campaign is stronger than ever, with special content series, social media campaigns, and an exclusive line of apparel! (The proceeds of which are donated to the Athlete Ally non-profit organization)
Why it Works: The WNBA’s long-standing commitment to diversity demonstrates its genuine support for the LBGTQ+ community. This authenticity resonates with fans and players, making sure sports fans of all kinds feel seen, feel valued, and feel like they belong.
8. Paris 2024: Games Wide Open
“Ouvrons grand es Jeux” (Games Wide Open)
That’s the slogan for the 2024 Paris Olympics, meant to show that the games in France will be more inclusive, open, and equal than ever before.
And it’s the perfect slogan for this year. For the first time ever, the Paralympic Games will be held concurrently with the Olympic Games, showcasing a united celebration of athletes from all backgrounds.
The “Games Wide Open” is not just a promotion of the highly anticipated Paris Olympics but a celebration of athletic ability, equality, diversity, and the human spirit.
Why it Works: Like many campaigns on this list, “Games Wide Open” works because it captures the values of inclusivity and unity that resonate deeply with audiences around the world, especially during the Olympic games.
This approach not only builds hype for what is no doubt going to be a hugely successful Olympics but also creates a sense of global solidarity and inspiration for sports fans and viewers everywhere!
Looking for Your Next Winning Sports Campaign?
We hope our collection of winning sports marketing campaigns from the first half of 2024 has inspired your sports brand to create its own inspirational campaign!
And if you’re inspired to win with a great sports marketing campaign of your own… only you lack the creative team, time, and resources to create all of the assets you’ll need to pull off your winning campaign, then we have a pro tip for you.
Why not team up with Designity?
Designity is an innovative Creative as a Service platform that is made up of the top 3% of all of the talented creatives that apply each year, meaning that our creative community is made up of the best of the best in fields like graphic design, video production, copywriting, social media strategy, digital marketing, web design and development, motion graphics design, and more — all the moving pieces you need for an attention-grabbing and successful sports marketing campaign.
And with the guidance of a dedicated Creative Director, a sports marketing strategy and design expert, to manage your creative team, build your timelines, and quality check all of your deliverables, you can have what you need to get your campaign up and running faster than you think!
If that sounds like a game plan to you, then go ahead and check out our sports marketing page and portfolio to see how we’ve been able to promote sports events and elevate sports brands just like yours.
If our style vibes with you (and we think it will), then take the next step and book your demo call so we can get you started with a two-week, no-obligation trial. Test drive Designity’s services for yourself and see why we’re the only sports marketing partner your brand will ever need.
Are you ready for your best sports marketing campaign of 2024?
