WNBA —Take a Seat. Take a Stand.

Earned Media Campaign + Video

Group Creative Director, Edelman

CHALLENGE: In 2018, the year of the woman, the WNBA wanted to insert themselves into this cultural conversation and engage a broader fan base. How could these female pioneers tap into this special moment in time?

SOLUTION: We created a social-activation campaign, “Take a Seat. Take a Stand,” linking the WNBA to the 2018 women’s movement. We leveraged earned media to spread the word. Our campaign won One Show Bronze Pencil, Effie Gold, Shorty Social Good and was shortlisted for Cannes Lion. We increased TV ratings by 38% and ticket sales by 15%.

HOW IT WORKED: Envisioned as the world’s first seated march, the WNBA partnered with organizations that help women and girls (E.G. Planned Parenthood). Ticket purchases not only supported women’s sports, but also organizations that change the game for women and girls.

SOCIAL ACTIVATION: To spark a conversation with limited paid media budget, we created an emotional anthem video (top of page) shared by like-minded influencers (Joe Biden, Arianna Huffington) and media outlets. The video was so popular that we cut it into a :30 TVC to run during the NBA finals.