Ryan Reynolds Hopes Brands Follow TikTok's Sponsorship Lead

The story of North Wales' Wrexham Football Club already seemed dramatic with its takeover by Hollywood megastars Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney, but now it's turned a page that steps up the team's visibility even more: massively popular app TikTok will be the team's top sponsor. Corresponding with the announcement, Reynolds and McElhenney have also made their personal TikTok debuts. https://www.tiktok.com/@vancityreynolds/video/6979574145671515398?sender_device=pc&sender_web_id=6942461201238787589&is_from_webapp=v1&is_copy_url=0 Reynolds tells Adweek that TikTok's support was both a coup for the team and also a great fit for the scrappy culture that defines Wrexham's story. "The idea that TikTok would sponsor a smaller North Walian club on the rise was too good to resist, and the TikTok team calmed my anxiety—however briefly," he said. "I do think it’s a great match, though, since TikTok is about joy and creativity and is a platform for underdogs." Beyond the benefits for Wrexham, Reynolds hopes the announcement also gets more brands thinking about how they can sponsor smaller organizations that represent their values rather than just relying on top-dollar deals for the highest-profile teams. If there was a professional curling league—is there?—and I ran the 7-Eleven brand, Slurpee would be all over it.—Ryan Reynolds "Everyone loves an underdog, and I think people are a little numb to huge brands sponsoring huge teams," Reynolds said. "I would love if this led to more big brands partnering with teams you wouldn’t expect. If there was a professional curling league—is there?—and I ran the 7-Eleven brand, Slurpee would be all over it." Explaining why the sponsorship made sense for the brand, TikTok global head of marketing Nick Tran said, "TikTok is uniquely positioned at the center of entertainment, technology and the creator community to help bring Wrexham A.F.C.'s story to life to global audiences." Tran said TikTok is "proud to play a small part in championing the return of Wrexham A.F.C. to the top-flight of football and sharing the journey with the town of Wrexham, our community and fans everywhere, in ways only TikTok can." https://www.tiktok.com/@rmcelhenney/video/6979570870192786693?lang=en&is_copy_url=0&is_from_webapp=v1&sender_device=pc&sender_web_id=6942461201238787589 TikTok will become shirt sponsors too, with the new strips being available to buy from the beginning of July. This is not the platform’s first foray into football sponsorship, having come on board this year as an official sponsor of the EUFA Euro 2020 competition this summer. “We were blown away by the ideas that TikTok had for their partnership with the Club,” said Humphrey Ker, executive director at Wrexham A.F.C., in a statement. “The opportunity to access the full breadth of their platform creates a community-building opportunity many will envy." He added that an official TikTok account for the club is also in the works at @wrexham_afc. “To have TikTok on the front of our shirts is a great coup, and we are sure it will be popular among our fan base, as well as with those who are active on TikTok,” Ker said. Wrexham FC will also be featured in a documentary series commissioned by FX Entertainment charting the journey of the club under its new owners over two seasons. Reynolds has been busy of late having sold his Aviation Gin to Diageo in 2020 and then his creative agency Maximum Effort to connected TV platform MNTN earlier this month. Ryan Reynolds Explains the Sale and Future of His Agency, Maximum Effort

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Ryan Reynolds Hopes TikTok's Wrexham Sponsorship Will Get More Brands Supporting Underdogs

He and team co-owner Rob McElhenney also made their debuts on the popular platform

Stephen Lepitak

David Griner

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Stephen Lepitak

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