NWSL Leans Into FIFA World Cup To Hype New Season Kick-off With ‘We Play Here’ Campaign

The NWSL launched a kick-off marketing campaign promoting the start of the US women’s professional league’s 11th season that leans into the excitement around the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup and which is called ‘We Play Here’.

 

The integrated campaign, which was spearheaded by a 60-second spot, is built around the message that many of the sport’s top stars who will compete in the World Cup later in the year are battling it out every week in the NWSL.

 

The league worked in harness with female focused creative agency The Con.cept on the campaign which spans digital and social channels and aims to the excitement of the USA’s elite women’s soccer league.

 

The hero spot, titled ‘2023 NWSL Kick-off Trailer: We Play Here’, dropped on 21 March and carries a copy line stating: “NWSL soccer BACK The NWSL season kicks off this weekend! Watch every goal, every save live on Paramount+, CBS Sports Network, CBS and TSN this season.2

 

 

The lead commercial also rolled out with Spanish and Portuguese language versions.

 

 

“The campaign sets out to capture the swagger and electricity of the NWSL, position it as a world-class competition and celebrate the rivalries, the joy, the fans and the energy,” explained NWSL CMO Julie Hadden.

 

“The new season kick-off comes at a time of growth for the league, after having set records in 2022 for attendance, viewership and sponsor growth,” said Haddon who added that the league had already racked up a 20% rise in season ticket holders this year and has far surpassed last year’s sales for opening weekend.

 

The agency team which worked on the project for client NWSL included Campaign Executive Sam Howard, Executive Producers Philinese Kirkwood and Lottie Productions, Copywriter Steve Horn and Voiceover Artist Midge Purce. Post production was handled by Wax Studios with Executive Producer Toni Lipari, Head Of Production Evan Meeker, Producers: Kong Yang and Sam Clark, Editor Drew Balke, Assistant Editor Jet Grose, Graphics Artist Adam Lee and Audio Mixer Marty Keating.

 

 

Comment

 

The 2023 NWSL season begins on 25 March and ended on 11 November – with the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup sandwiched in between.

 

This campaign was quickly followed by partner Nike’s first every dedicated NWSL campaign called ‘This Is Our Beautiful Game’, as well as several club new season hype campaigns and season ticket sales promotions such as the Chicago Red Stars’ ‘Wednesday’ dance focused initiative.