You could hear a pin drop around St Jakob-Park. That same pin could be heard across England. 

And then it happened.

“It’s Kelly…

“HAMMERS IT HOME, THE LIONESS’ GO BACK TO BACK”

A commentary call that echoed in the homes up and down the country, inspiring generations of footballers, as well as a fresh excitement around women’s sport.

The spotlight is here. So is the audience. 

Now comes the test for everyone else: will brands step up, or sit back and wait for the next viral moment?

2025 is already proving to be another landmark year. Big-name tournaments are turning heads, and the UK is front and centre. The Women’s Rugby World Cup is back on home turf. Queen’s Club will host a women’s tennis tournament for the first time in over half a century. And the return of the Tour of Britain Women is giving cycling the platform it deserves. 

It’s clear that this isn’t just momentum. It’s a movement.

For brands, this moment matters. 

How they show up could define their relationship with women’s sport for years to come.

When support misses the mark

The interest is here. The talent is thriving. The stakes are higher. 

And audiences are taking note of how brands behave, not just when the trophies are lifted, but across the whole season. It’s no longer enough to roll out a campaign when the cameras are on. 

When a brand gets it wrong, people can tell.

Good intentions aren’t a shield. If the tone is off or the message doesn’t land, it can do more harm than good. That’s especially true when it veers into tired tropes about body image or leans on stereotypes instead of celebrating real athletic achievement.

Take Dove’s #KeepHerConfident spot during the Super Bowlspot. The campaign aimed to empower girls in sport but drew criticism for focusing too much on appearance over ability. 

The linked Sports Re-Illustrated project had creative flair, but risked reinforcing the idea that how female athletes look still holds too much weight.

Persil’s ‘Dirt Is Good’ campaign also split opinion. Encouraging girls to get messy in sport is a positive idea, but linking that message to laundry felt like it missed the point. 

Especially when it leaned too heavily on the idea of girls needing to clean up after themselves. Neither brand lacked purpose or effort, but the reaction shows how easily the execution can backfire.

Show up with substance, not spin

It’s not all missteps. When brands get it right, the difference is obvious. Ariel’s work with Mary Earps demonstrates this. She’s not just a world-class goalkeeper. She’s someone who has challenged the system, launching her own apparel brand after her shirt wasn’t available to buy during the 2023 World Cup. That kind of drive and authenticity made her a natural fit.

The campaign linked her goalkeeping to Ariel’s clean sheet credentials in a way that felt smart and unforced. The creative played to her strengths, reflected her character, and avoided the clichés. That’s the level of care and credibility fans want to see.

This isn’t about applying different rules to women’s sport. It’s about applying the same level of thought, respect and consistency as you would to any elite partnership. The problem isn’t overthinking, it’s underestimating. Treating women’s sport as something separate or simplified only ends up making the brand look out of touch.

From visibility to impact

Brands have a chance to shape the future of women’s sport. But it’s not just about being seen, it’s about having a point of view. Take LUX’s ‘Change the Angle’ campaign. During the 2023 Durban Open, the cosmetics brand used QR codes on players’ kits to redirect viewers to a film tackling the objectification of female athletes. It called out inappropriate imagery captured at global tournaments and helped change national broadcasting standards in South Africa.

That’s not a flash-in-the-pan activation. It’s a brand putting its weight behind something that matters, and doing it on a public stage. Campaigns like this don’t just win impressions, they drive change.

And that’s the real opportunity. Not every brand needs to take a political stance. But they do need to bring relevance, respect and responsibility to the table. Fans can tell when it’s genuine, and they can definitely tell when it’s not.

There’s no shortage of stories to be told or partnerships to be built. But the brands that win in this space won’t be the loudest. They’ll be the ones who listen, who learn, and who back women’s sport all year round. Not just when there’s a trophy to post about.