By: Jane Hanson | Link to article
As tennis phenom Coco Gauff becomes the first tennis player and youngest athlete to ever carry the flag for Team USA at an Olympics, and as we reach gender parity at the Olympic games for the first time, it’s clear that female athletes are breaking barriers in sports.
And in the marketing world.
Gauff, the 20-year-old reigning US Open Champion, was also revealed this week as one of the faces of American Eagle’s newest campaign, Live Your Life. And last month Olympic gymnast Jordan Chiles partnered with Milani Cosmetics to promote the brand’s Make It Last setting spray. By celebrating and elevating the stories of athletes like Gauff and Chiles, brands now have an unparalleled chance to forge new, authentic connections with consumers. And in the world of brand marketing, authenticity is the new currency.
A Full Court Press on Female Athletes
Women’s sports are on fire.
According to recent data, viewership of women’s sports, like tennis, basketball and golf, is exploding. And younger, social media-savvy athletes like Gauff and Chiles have amassed huge social media followings with highly engaged fan bases.
In a long overdue leveling up, brands in industries seemingly unconnected to sports are now partnering with female athletes, tapping into their compelling stories and storytelling to connect with consumers — and drive engagement, loyalty and sales.
A New Kind of Influencer
The “pay per shout-out” influencer strategy has lost its impact, particularly among younger consumers, says Stacey Hawes. The Chief Performance and Data Officer at marketing agency MERGE recently completed a broad study around what drives Gen Z purchase decisions.
The study revealed that while Gen Z consumers are significantly influenced by brands advertising or collaborating at in-person events, and a large number are willing to spend a significant percentage of their total earnings on event-related purchases, brands must approach this younger consumer differently. “Gen Z is more thoughtful and less impulsive in how they buy,” says Hawes. “You can get into their wallets, but they have to be influenced. And they’re not being influenced any longer by celebrities like they once were. They’re being influenced by people they admire.”
In other words, by athletes.
Inspiring Consumers
Brand deals with female athletes are on the rise. Gymnast Simone Biles, for example, was recently named the newest partner on Eli Lilly’s Mounjaro campaign and Olympic hurdler Anna Cockrell just became the first female athlete on Lowe’s endorsement roster. And then there’s Coco.
“We wanted to partner with Coco because she is someone who really exemplifies the spirit of ‘Live Your Life’ in every way possible,” says Craig Brommers, Chief Marketing Officer – AE.
“Coco is a great example of Gen Z,” says Brommers. “She is achieving so much greatness on the court, but she is also emerging as a fashion icon, she is a business enterprise, and she is making an impact with the causes she has spoken out for.”
Milani, the cosmetics brand known for its affordable, inclusive beauty products, has similarly embraced the power of female athleticism to tell its story in a new campaign called “Face Set. Mind Set.”
The brand’s new campaign, which promotes the brand’s Make It Last setting spray, features four Milani customers — who also happen to be rockstar athletes: gymnast Chiles, WNBA player Sabrina Ionescu, volleyball star Chiaka Ogbogu and weightlifter Mattie Rogers (all but Rogers are competing in this summer’s Olympic Games.)
Both Milani and American Eagle are tapping into their star athletes’ status, loyal fanbases and compelling storytelling to share their brand’s message.
Milani’s new campaign leans into the cultural shift of women wearing makeup while playing sports and exercising. The athletes’ social content tells the story that beauty and strength are not mutually exclusive and that setting your face frees you to set your mind. “When your face is set, you’re ready to face whatever it is you do with more power, with more grace, and importantly, with more confidence,” says Mary van Praag, the brand’s CEO.
AE’s campaign includes an image of Gauff in a denim tennis outfit. The image conveys the campaign’s call to action to the brand’s newest generation of customers – to do the things they love to do in the clothes that make them happy. The outfit is from the brand’s new collaboration, Coco Gauff x American Eagle, which will launch August 15th at the US Open.
Secrets to Success
Brommers says female athletes are an important part of AE’s marketing mix. While influencers can at times be one dimensional, he believes “female athletes are multidimensional and that’s why they’re so compelling in terms of partnering with brands.”
What else leads to a successful brand partnership with female athletes?
Storytelling
The best brands are the best storytellers, according to Brommers. And the best storytellers are the female athletes. “When we work with athletes, their performance on the court or field is important. But our customers are more interested in what they’re doing off the field of competition,” he says. “And that’s why people are interested in their fashion, their perseverance, their discipline.”
“Our athletes all have personal stories behind them,” agrees van Praag. “Our customers want to know what they went through, how they trained and how they got to where they are?”
Shared Values
Authentic connection between a brand’s customers and athletes derives, in part, from shared values, says Hawes. “These female athletes are promoting the things Gen Z cares about, like positivity, body image and wellness.” Van Praag sees similar value in her athletes. “By partnering with athletes, consumers associate our campaign with health and wellbeing.”
Many female athletes use their platform to speak out for causes, and that resonates with consumers who share those values. Gauff, for example, has spoken out publicly about social justice reform, food insecurity and LGBTQ+ rights.
IRL Events
“We’ve received very consistent feedback from millennials, Gen Z and Gen Alpha,” says Brommers. “One thing that emerged that is new is the desire for human-to-human connection.” And brands must show up where their customers are. IRL events, where consumers meet brand partners, connect with other brand enthusiasts and touch products, are an important part of all brands’/athletes’ marketing playbooks.
Milani recently hosted an in-person “training camp” event in Los Angeles. Brand enthusiasts were encouraged to show up, run a “low key” obstacle course and take home free setting spray. American Eagle promises in-store events, pop-ups and surprise events around its “Live Your Life” campaign.
The Business of Female Athletes
Working with female athletes is more than just fair play.
“There were moments in the last 25 years or so that working with female athletes was a feel-good moment,” shares Brommers. But now, he says, it’s about driving business impact. “When we look at the influencers, celebrities and athletes we work with, female athletes are some of our best performers.”
Livvy Dunne, the Louisiana State University gymnast who rose to fame on TikTok and Instagram, is another example of a strategic female athlete partnership that paid off in spades for the retailer. “She was one of the first athletes we worked with in the NIL (name, image and likeness) space,” says Brommers. “When she wore a specific American Eagle jean in any social content, we’d see an immediate pop in sales.”
As more women engage in and watch sports, the influence and visibility of female athletes grows. As these women have proven to be powerful influencers and authentic storytellers, this is creating a significant new opportunity for brands.
