Budweiser, after signing on as the first official beer sponsor of the NWSL in July, is now "taking the unusual step of helping the burgeoning league secure sponsors from other categories, from restaurants and condiments to deodorants and oral care," according to E.J. Schultz of AD AGE. A new campaign by VaynerMedia, called "Future Official," debuted Thursday and features a TV spot in which NWSL Reign FC MF Megan Rapinoe "urges other brands to follow Bud's lead." The NWSL currently "only lists five sponsors: Budweiser, Nike, the Lifetime cable network, insect repellent brand Cutter and Thorne." Budweiser's campaign "essentially uses a chunk of Anheuser-Busch's vast marketing budget to rally corporate support for the league." The move is "clearly also aimed at more closely linking Bud to a league that has become a symbol for gender equality." The campaign "asks for consumers to pre-pledge support for whatever brands fill sponsor gaps across several categories." This occurs at a "special website where fans are asked to put in their names and email addresses, promising to support league sponsors." The TV ad will "run during ESPN's Sunday broadcast of the NWSL championship game" between the Chicago Red Stars and N.C. Courage. The media plan also "includes newspaper ads in the Charlotte Observer and Seattle Times, such as one showing a picture of Rapinoe and 'the future official deodorant of the NWSL'" (ADAGE.com, 10/24).
