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The WNBA playoffs are here, and so are the brands.
Amid record-breaking WNBA TV viewership (up 21% over 2022) and attendance (up 16%), Deloitte is launching a new sports marketing campaign celebrating women on the court and in the conference room.
A series of four 30-second spots, created alongside Ryan Reynolds’ Maximum Effort agency, will star current and former WNBA players Diana Taurasi, Sydney Colson, Theresa Plaisance and Adweek cover star Sylvia Fowles, with the creative making its debut tonight.
Among the highlights is the WNBA players in awe of the achievements of women in business, fawning over execs as they sign LinkedIn photos or trying to draft winning (business) rosters.
The campaign will air on ESPN and ABC for the duration of the WNBA postseason, which is underway and runs through mid-October. These spots will also be accompanied by a full suite of social and digital media placements.
“The continued advancement of women in sports and business is essential to help create a more diverse, inclusive and equitable society,” Jason Girzadas, CEO, Deloitte U.S., said in a statement. “At Deloitte, we are deeply committed to diversity, equity and inclusion within our own organization and society, and are proud of the influential leadership of women across our organization. Our collaboration with the WNBA and Maximum Effort will shine a spotlight on the incredible impact women leaders make every day as role models and changemakers shaping the next generation.”
The research backs it up
The campaign launched alongside a new survey from Deloitte, which found that 85% of women who played sports say it was important to their career success. Those findings are even higher among women in leadership roles (91%) and women who make $100,000 or more (93%).
Deloitte’s Impact of Sports on Women’s Professional Success study also found that, of respondents who make over $100,000 annually and are in management or leadership roles, 69% have played competitive sports.
“As we embark on the playoffs after a milestone season for the WNBA, it’s a perfect time to highlight the importance of supporting women in sports and business at all levels,” WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert said in a statement. “As someone who played sports as a young girl through college, I hope that these efforts continue to inspire young girls and women to keep following their dreams in whatever career they aspire to.”
Deloitte has been a longtime partner of the WNBA and is an inaugural WNBA Changemaker—a partnership and sponsorship program designed to help the league overhaul its business.
Full court press
This isn’t the first time Reynolds has teamed up with the WNBA. Earlier this month, the Maximum Effort AVOD channel on Fubo announced the unscripted comedy series the Syd + TP show, starring Colson and Plaisance. The series premiered Monday evening and is executive produced by Reynolds.
“As a girl dad, co-chair of a Welsh women’s football team and producer of a WNBA TV show, I want to help create a great professional environment for women. Sports is transformative and fun for both women and men, whether a career in sports is the goal or not,” Reynolds said in a statement. “I am grateful to Deloitte and the hilarious WNBA stars for collaborating with Maximum Effort to create this campaign.”
