Marketing / Sports

This year’s New York City Marathon will witness an unprecedented slew of fashion-related activations like branded run clubs, sneaker drops and even a beauty sponsorship as the industry goes all in on running culture.

The collaboration marks the first collection from the Nets’ new in-house label, Bero. For Dillane, a New York native, it needed to be more than another superficial logo swap.

As a basketball player for Louisiana State University, Reese was a force on and off the court, winning everything there was to win and earning the nickname “Bayou Barbie” for her fierce looks. Now, the breakout WNBA star and BoF 500 member is making waves in fashion and beauty — from pre-game “tunnel walks” to red carpet appearances — and netting deals with major brands.

As tennis legends retire, brands are shifting focus to the new generation of tennis stars like Coco Gauff and Carlos Alcaraz, leveraging their social media presence and growing audiences to connect with younger, more diverse consumers.

The return of company veteran Nicole Hubbard Graham as CMO and the rollout of its ‘Winning Isn’t for Everyone’ campaign have helped fuel a push to restore Nike’s marketing glory after the brand ran off course. “Do I think Nike stopped believing that the notion of winning could continue to grow this brand? Maybe.”

Olympics viewership surged past expectations, but fashion brands largely failed to seize the moment beyond sportswear giants like Nike and official partners like Louis Vuitton and Ralph Lauren.

The Olympics are proving a perfect marriage of the sports and fashion industries. It’s the culmination of several factors that have turned sport into fashion’s most exciting new arena over the past two years.

Long the marketing domain of sportswear giants, the 2024 Olympic games in Paris are seeing an influx of fashion advertisers who are getting creative in how they capitalise on one of the few remaining events with massive global impact.