Few celebrities can rival the appeal of sport stars, who represent the pinnacle of human-kind in both physical condition, mental toughness, wealth and success in their chosen field. Cristiano Ronaldo's reign as the most followed Instagram profile underscores the global appeal of sports figures and their ability to gain a following beyond musicians, influencers and even the Kardashians.As 2024 continues to mark a pivotal year in sports influence, James Baldwin, Head of Influence for Ogilvy PR in APAC, explores how athletes are transcending the boundaries of the field, and what it means for brands.
According to Kantar, sports stars are certainly in the ascendance when it comes to TV advertising. The proportion of global TV ads featuring acclaimed athletes doubled in the past five years to 18%. Meanwhile, the glow of Hollywood is beginning to wane, with film stars' prominence dropping from 62% of ads featuring a celebrity in 2019 to 51% today, according to the firm.
And that figure is just scratching the surface. With sports stars garnering colossal followings on social media, they also have incredible appeal as influencers.
As non-football fans across Europe will be able to attest this summer, at certain points in the calendar, sports stars and athletes can be nigh on unignorable. James Baldwin, Head of Influence for Ogilvy PR in APAC, calls this phenomenon 'involuntary inclusion'. Indeed, over the next month, wherever we are in the world, we'll be finding ourselves cheering on emerging national heroes from sports as diverse as artistic swimming and lacrosse. Resistance is futile."Whether people are interested in sports or not, it is impossible to not feel pride in the success of your national sports team in an event like the Olympics or World Cup. Results are everywhere, TV screens are erected in public spaces, games streamed at every eating establishment in hopes of drawing crowds, " says Baldwin.What's truly unique when it comes to athletes as a category, compared to other brand spokespeople and influencers and collaborators like artists, pop stars and actors, is the visceral struggle of their chosen pursuit. They're real life embodiments of the hero's journey.
How Sports Stars Became Less Super Human and More Human
Athletes have always been aspirational, major tournaments have always swept even non-fans along and the raw joy and togetherness of live sports has always tapped into a primal part of our psyches.But the relationship between brands, athletes and audiences are evolving, as are the specifics of the role that sports people can play.First and foremost, social media has opened up the opportunity to work with athletes as influencers and it's also allowed athletes to close the distance between them and their fans.More and more, we can relate to them as humans rather than gods, and that, in turn, can also allow them to find new audiences who may not have come to them as sports enthusiasts.You don't have to look far for evidence of this - as James Baldwin at Ogilvy APAC points out. "The recent phenomenon of Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce's relationship, exemplifies this, catapulting Kelce's visibility beyond a best-in-class athlete into a new stratosphere. Interest in the Chiefs has also skyrocketed, with the team gaining more than half a million new fans this season, more than double the next team in the league."Those human stories don't just live on social media, however. Over the past five years, we've seen the growth of sport docuseries that have lifted the lid on the drama behind the scenes, while keeping fans satisfied between seasons. While lacking the intimacy of social media, they satisfy audiences' needs for more complex narratives and have made stars of the most obscure figures.For James Baldwin, those docuseries have had a fascinating impact. "Documentaries like 'Break Point', 'Drive to Survive' and 'The Last Dance' have played a crucial role in the evolution of sports, showcasing athletes as complete personalities with emotional depth, diverse interests and everyday difficulties like the rest of us. This narrative shift is crucial in an era where physical prowess is just one aspect of an athlete's identity."One might be tempted to argue that this up-close-and-personal connection we're seeing with the athletes on social media or in these expanded streaming series as little more than an update of the tell-all tabloid journalism and gossip that's long followed sports stars. Baldwin argues that this isn't the case. "The behind-the-scenes window is a first-hand, much more relatable view of their personalities often told in first person. That adds a level of truth and trust that does not exist with tabloid gossip. Trust is the foundation of influence."This more inclusive, diverse and rounded understanding of athletes combined with platforms that put them in control also allows them to lead on important social issues and conversations around mental wellbeing."In an industry that prioritises physical health, athletes are increasingly vocal about mental health, a topic once considered taboo in sports," says James Baldwin. "Athletes have not been shy to share their struggles openly and transparently, going as far as to even take time away from the field or court. Simone Biles, Naomi Osaka, and Coco Gauff have used their platforms to foster dialogue on mental health, race and gender."Score Beyond the Mainstream
Many experts say that the beauty of the current landscape is that partnerships with less famous athletes who play for less mainstream or more niche sports can connect brands with all sorts of audiences. From rock climbing to pickleball, the world is rich with sports with deeply engaged communities beyond the more obvious football, F1 and basketball.There is a plethora of examples of brands that are getting creative and curious, and really supporting into hyperlocal and niche communities, such as Nike's sponsorship of the China High School Basketball League, Skoda's decision to make a stand around the fact there's no official women's Tour de France, Honda's Campus All-Star Challenge (a quiz competition for historically Black colleges and universities) and the Yonex-Sunrise India Open, which supports junior badminton in India.Another benefit of looking beyond the biggest names is that you can access areas where there's simply less brand noise and competition for attention. Instead of clamouring for established names in a field, brands can consider partnering with younger athletes at the start of their careers. "Many young athletes go to the Olympics and rise in prominence. Bring them in early and show your support for youth," says James Baldwin. "If you're lucky, they'll grow with you."The following article was edited from LBB's "Why Athletes Are Champion Influencers". Click on Read More below to access the full original article.
