The WNBA is launching a new campaign centered around the upcoming draft class that aims to convert college basketball viewers into fans of the pro league. The “Welcome to the W” campaign debuts Friday on ESPN during the NCAA Women’s Tournament coverage in an attempt to drum up excitement and awareness for this year’s much anticipated draft class, headlined by Iowa G Caitlin Clark and Stanford F Cameron Brink. The league is collaborating with Wieden+Kennedy on the campaign, which will showcase three 90s-inspired ads. WNBA CMO Phil Cook said the league collaborated with Wieden+Kennedy on the campaign because they “understood the voice of the athlete” and they could “mine the insight that was impactful to fans and consumers.” The ads will be directed by comedy website Funny or Die’s Jake Szymanski.
Some of the top current WNBA stars are featured in the promos, which exaggerate the college players’ transition into the pros. Liberty F Breanna Stewart and Wings G Arike Ogunbowale appear in the initial TV ads debuting during the NCAA tourney. Additionally, Storm F Nneka Ogwumike, Aces F A'ja Wilson and Mercury C Brittney Griner will be featured in out-of-home marketing this weekend in the NCAA regional finals host cities in Portland and Albany. The campaign will carry over into the start of the 2024 WNBA season.
The WNBA has seen a notable uptick in attendance and TV viewership in recent seasons, but it continues to look to grow the fan base. As such, Cook notes next month’s star-studded draft, which also could include LSU F Angel Reese, provides the league an opportunity to “cast a broader net” and “engage with the consumer base.” He called what’s happening at the collegiate level a “massive moment” for the sport. “Everyone sees the scope and the growth of the audiences in the women's game,” he said. “That was just a great invitation for us to jump together and see if we can get them to partake in the same consumption of the WNBA.”
Women’s college basketball has attracted unprecedented attention this season, including from the mainstream media. The WNBA is seeking that same kind of increased focus. Cook speaks of the influence this incoming class of Gen-Z athletes drives as cultural figures and how they are coming into the league “with a brand identity already established.” Cook: “That gives us all a great head start because it comes with an audience. So we're getting the advantage of having baked in audiences with these athletes who fans are going to continue to follow.”
