Challenge

While women's sport is now in the spotlight, there is still a way to go to ensure it gets the consistent attention, funding and prominence it deserves.

The objective was to sell as many tickets as possible for the Women’s Manchester Derby on Sunday, May 4, against Manchester City by raising awareness of the game, celebrating the sport, and uniting the city in support of the women’s team.

Manchester United is determined to shine a spotlight on women’s football and cement Manchester as a leading city for the women’s game. This is not just about ticket sales -it’s about creating long-term cultural impact.

We want to make the Manchester Derby the hottest ticket in town for 16–30-year-olds, filling the stadium and building a new generation of loyal, engaged fans who see women’s football as a vital part of Manchester’s identity.

The focus is on both maximum ticket sales and buzz on game day, and fostering ongoing support for the team and the women’s game.

Solution

To drive ticket sales and rally support for the Women’s Manchester Derby, we invited the public to quite literally take a seat for women’s football.

We transformed local businesses across Manchester into ticket vendors, replacing their chairs with bold red seats and a QR code - so one red seat could help fill another at Old Trafford. At the heart of the campaign stood a 4m giant inflatable red chair placed in St Ann’s Square, a high-footfall area popular with our target 16–30 audience, creating a striking call to action and photo moment. The chair then made appearances at two Manchester United men’s games (including the Derby on 6th April), and at a Chelsea men’s game, where it stole the spotlight as intended.

Recognising the power and reach of social, we created content that could live across both the Women’s and Men’s Manchester United platforms, maximising visibility and impact where it matters most.

We teased the red chairs in-situ on Instagram and TikTok, sparking intrigue and driving anticipation. The campaign launched with a hero film, featuring the players at Old Trafford, calling on fans to find the red chairs and secure their seat at the historic match. An editorial-style asset library of stills and video content was created to amplify reach and maximise social sharing.

The players didn’t just star in the film, they showed up in real life, surprising fans at the giant red chair and speaking with ITV News, reinforcing the momentum.

Finally, we partnered with a group of Manchester-based influencers who visited the chairs, created content on-site, and encouraged their audiences to do the same - driving social buzz and direct ticket conversions.