- The National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) has named Unwell Hydration, the beverage brand founded by “Call Her Daddy” podcaster Alex Cooper, as an official sponsor, per details shared with Marketing Dive.
- The 2025 NWSL Challenge Cup in Orlando, Florida, this weekend will see pop-up experiences for Unwell, exclusive ticket promotions, co-branded merchandise and several other appearances by Cooper, a former soccer player.
- Unwell can also be establishing a fan community called Unwell FC for tracking games throughout the 2025 season. This marks the primary partnership for the brand, which hit store shelves in the beginning of the 12 months and is an element of a broader platform designed by Cooper to attach with young audiences.
Cooper has change into well-known for fostering strong connections to Gen Z and young millennials through her “Call Her Daddy” podcast, which recently struck a reported $100 million promoting and distribution take care of SiriusXM. Cooper in 2023 further expanded her media influence beyond audio by introducing The Unwell Network, a platform that encompasses content, live events and consumer products like Unwell Hydration. The colourful beverage line boasting natural ingredients and a healthy dose of vitamins and electrolytes is broadening its retail presence throughout 2025 after initial Target exclusivity.
Cooper’s marketing savvy could provide a lift to the NWSL, which has seen surging fandom lately and a subsequent uptick in brand interest. The 2024 NWSL Championship match, which was presented by Google Pixel, drew viewership 18% higher than the 12 months prior. The Unwell news landed at the identical time E.l.f. Cosmetics inked a multiyear sponsorship deal as the official makeup and skincare partner of the professional women’s soccer league.
Cooper, a former Division I soccer player who wields 3.4 million Instagram followers, has an ardent built-in following dubbed the Daddy Gang that she could steer toward the NWSL. Unwell can also be leaning into the influencer’s community-building skills with the Unwell FC fan group. In an announcement video concerning the NWSL tie-up, Cooper positioned the deal as her return to a sport she previously needed to stop playing, proudly proclaiming, “We’re the league sponsor, b—h!”
“As a former college soccer player, Alex gets the game, the grind, and what it means to be a female athlete,” said NWSL Commissioner Jessica Berman in a press statement. “Through her massive platform, she’s been a champion for girls’s empowerment, and now, she’s using that influence to amplify the NWSL like never before.”
Marketers and leagues have hurried to capitalize on swelling in interest for girls’s skilled sports. WPP agency GroupM last 12 months established a dedicated marketplace for girls’s sports content, doubling annual media spending on the category through work with clients including Adobe, Adidas, Unilever and Target.
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