Where fans see a good time, Corporate America sees an opportunity. Nineteen companies, including Adidas and Gillette, have ponied up $6 million for sponsorship rights and will spend many millions more on ads, events and new products (like Mattel’s Soccer Barbie) tied to the games. Sports marketers, weary of seven-foot egos and Olympic-size scandals, are attracted to women’s soccer’s wholesome, family-oriented image. Companies like Allstate are betting “soccer dads” will sit down and watch. Already viewers are getting an eyeful of the women who will soon zoom across their screens. In one Bud Light commercial, feisty midfielder Julie Foudy sends a doctor flying across the examination room when he tests the reflexes in her knee. Partners like Sports Illustrated for Women and Lifetime Television are producing a special issue and a TV special, respectively. Says Lifetime sports VP Brian Donlon: “We’re staking our claim on the Title IX generation.”
Women already buy more sporting goods than men do, and increasingly, they buy for themselves. The sneaker giant Nike says its biggest growth opportunity lies with new products designed specifically for women. To capitalize on the World Cup buzz, the company has launched a new women’s soccer shoe–the Air Zoom M9, named for U.S. superstar Mia Hamm, who wears No. 9 and helped design the shoe. A key selling point: the shoe has a more arched heel and is tapered to fit a woman’s narrow foot. Nike has also introduced a snug-fitting woman’s jersey aimed at replacing those floppier men’s uniforms.
For companies used to writing big checks to hire athletes with marquee names, the relative anonymity of the women’s team has become an unexpected asset. With the exception of Hamm, a true star, team members haven’t spent much time in the spotlight, so they’ve been gung-ho to promote the event. That’s included TV appearances on “Rosie O’Donnell” and MTV, but it’s more likely to mean glamourless soccer clinics and autograph sessions for teen fans. “Sometimes you’re tired and you don’t feel like signing autographs for a half-hour,” admits defender Brandi Chastain. “The men wouldn’t do it.” She’s no Dennis Rodman. But for that, the sponsors couldn’t be happier.
