WNBA

case study

branding

advertising

social media

video production

campaigns for the WNBA, NY Liberty, and CT Sun that bring the fans to the arena — and their feet.

we watsons have been lucky enough to partner with the wnba and two of its amazing franchise teams giving us a real-world understanding of the term, work can feel like play.

giving the wnba something else to be proud of.

the wnba came a calling one day with an emergency project that their existing agency couldn’t turn around in time. the project: a special promotion targeting—and thanking—the brand’s robust LGBTQ audiences. using social, coasters, local, and out of home advertising, we did just that. we also shined a very bright light on an event in Provincetown, MA that featured player cutouts for selfie stations and the hottest swag in town.

hitting the ground running with the New York Liberty.

on october 30, 1996, new york was selected as one of eight charter members of the women’s national basketball association (wnba). and they, in turn, selected the watsons as their agency of record— starting what would become a ten year partnership.

as the liberty entered its subsequent seasons, we asked, knowing that those who come to one game, almost always come back, how do we convey the fun, excitement, and world-class play that defines this team’s brand? asked another way, how do we fill the seats at madison square garden? 

the answer: embrace both your fans – and the notion that the new york liberty mean different things to different people. and don’t waste time and money trying to build affinities with audiences that simply won’t convert, i.e. male sports fans with no kids.

with a target of women who love sports, dads who love their kids—and sports, moms who love a healthy family activity, kids who love to have fun, and proud new yorkers, we first developed a tagline that embodied the promise that the liberty are about more than basketball. they're about elevating b-ball to world-class athleticism, finesse, community, sportsmanship, and fun: raising the game.

on your team, nyc.

our suite of materials ranged from tickets to transit to ooh and broadcast spots with varied messaging designed to resonant with the diverse audiences they serve.

early to adopt short form video, we created a series of 'basketball' shorts aimed at building affinities with new yorkers by having Liberty team members help various people navigate the city.

how much fun did we have doing it? fuggedaboutit. 

here comes the sun.

the wnba’s connecticut sun was about to celebrate their 20th anniversary in the league. our job? to refresh the sun’s brand for the big event. the team is comprised of wildly talented, socially-active, down-to-earth elite athletes. an inspiration on and off the court. so we created a look and feel that reflected their essence.

after adapting their logo to celebrate their 20th year, we developed a modern, dynamic, in-your-face design that brought the brand’s fire to the digital landscape. new messaging turned up the team’s volume and kicked off with a new tagline that spoke to their integrity and trajectory: RISE. 

when all was said and done, the connecticut sun was a shining example of why we love what we do.