Game On!
The sports market is accelerating at pace, predicted to reach $602 billion by 2030.(1) With a diversified media landscape and ever-growing fandoms, people have more ways to engage with sports than before. The sports sponsorship market alone is predicted to reach $190 billion by 2030, and fans are receptive.(2) For example, 67% of global football fans would choose a sponsor’s product over a non-sponsor brand, compared to 54% of the general public,(3) clear proof that effective sponsorships fuel brand consideration.
But today, visibility alone isn’t enough. Logo-slapping has given way to active story-telling and deeper-meaningful engagements built on shared value between the brand and sport. Fans want to be more than spectators; they want to be part of the action and immersive approaches are primed to deliver. Here, we’ll explore the imperatives behind today’s most impactful sponsorship activations, and how brands can win hearts and minds, on and off the pitch.
1. Drive fan hype
Sport is ultimately competition. Two competing teams, players battling, and fans riding these emotional highs and lows. Great sponsorship activations don’t just mimic this buzz, they amplify it. By embedding into fan rituals, bringing people together to share their passion, or creating parallel moments of drama and competition, brands can become engines of fan energy.
An excellent example of this is adidas’s activation during the NBA All-Star Weekend, an annual celebration of basketball fandom. With interactive sneaker installations, exclusive product drops, and even a lie-detector to test their confidence by claiming to be a better player than NBA star Anthony Edwards, fans felt the buzz across many touchpoints. The festivities reached a crescendo with the Superstar Party at adidas Hub led by NBA All-Star and adidas signature athlete, Damian Lillard, attended by cultural tastemakers, entertainers and mega athletes and broadcast across socials. The activation fused adidas’ reputation in basketball and streetwear, giving fans countless opportunities to connect with the brand, and demonstrating how a brand can effectively channel the energy of a cultural sporting moment.
When done well, activations don’t just ride the wave of sports fan energy, but add to it. Brand presence evolves into shared experience, where fandom is amplified and celebrated.
2. Make it (feel) rare
Brands can become the enabler of exclusivity, giving fans access to something they would never dream of: behind-the-scenes moments, limited-edition drops, a special viewing experience. The rarity of experience holds real value, becoming a cultural currency fans are willing to chase.
Arsenal and Persil took an unexpected approach to their partnership. After launching a campaign about a signed Saka shirt getting washed accidentally, seven Bukayo Saka-signed posters were then hidden around North London for eagle-eyed fans to find. The initiative was unveiled through social media, creating a frenzy among fans who searched the streets for a coveted poster. The exclusivity of the merch drove virality, with 7 million impressions and a reach of 270 million across socials. It proves that even the smallest items, when rare enough, can carry the biggest buzz.
When fans feel special, even the smallest gesture becomes monumental. Rarity, exclusivity and privilege are the keys to driving sponsorship fame and memorability, positioning the brand as an enabler of an epic fan experience.
3. Build emotional synergy
Some partnerships make immediate sense, like marathons and running shoes. But, not every sports sponsorship will have an explicit synergy whether it’s in a different industry, or plays a background role in the game. In these cases, the real power is in finding a spiritual connection between the sport and the brand and building around that shared value.
For example, LEGO and F1 might seem like an unlikely partnership when one is all about unleashed creativity, and the other champions precision. During the Miami Grand Prix, the standard pre-race driver’s parade was levelled up with 10 full-size, drivable LEGO cars, complete with electric engines, authentic liveries and Pirelli tyres. What made this activation so iconic was the driver’s authentic enjoyment. Some drivers tried to race each other on the track and Lewis Hamilton even called it ‘the most fun Drivers’ Parade we’ve ever had’. This genuine reaction turned a sponsorship that could have felt forced into one that fans and drivers both loved.
Lenovo and F1 followed a different path. While computing and racing are more obviously intertwined through precision and engineering, they wanted to bring this connection to light in a more emotionally rich way. At the heart of the ‘#RacetoCreate’ activation, fans could design their own AI livery, and the winning designs were then projected onto London’s iconic Walkie-Talkie building, with all 525 feet lit up for the first time ever. It turned Lenovo’s role in data infrastructure into an engaging, relevant moment for fans.
Some of the most interesting sponsorships aren’t always the most obvious. They’re the ones that go deeper to find common ground. Because even the most unlikely pairings can spark powerful fan connections.
4. Show up spectacularly
In an era of endless content, standout is paramount. Activations should stop people in their tracks, fans and non-fans alike. They should intrigue, wow and amaze, and ultimately drive cultural conversation. Because playing it safe, risks feeling stale.
Take Nike’s partnership with the England Lionesses for the 2022 Euros. This pairing was taken to spectacular heights, celebrating the squad’s strength and skill by projecting players’ profiles onto striking locations, from the white cliffs of Dover, to Tower Bridge, to Battersea Power Station. Iconic players on iconic canvases. The activation went viral, with 8 million social impressions, 200k+ likes, shares and retweets, and more than 50 PR articles written. The exceptional scale and display of the activation was key in its exposure and ultimately, its success.
A willingness to be bold cuts through the noise. Standout visual storytelling is what earns attention and helps partnerships stick in people’s memory.
Today’s fans expect more than logos. The fight to win eyeballs is fierce, but the most powerful sponsorship activations do the following four things…
They drive fan hype, riding waves of passion.
They make it (feel) rare, giving fans access to the most special experiences.
They build emotional synergy, even in the most unexpected cases.
And they show up spectacularly, demanding attention.
The brands that succeed don’t watch the game from the sidelines, they transform it.
Ready to raise the bar? Game on! Reach out to us and let’s make something unforgettable.
References:
1. Kearney: Value of Global sports market forecast to exceed $600 billion by 2030
2. Stylus, Sportstainment: The Future of Sports Fan Experiences
3. Nielsen, 2025 Global Sports Report
