Submit Efficiency Report August 2025

We’re again with one other installment of the Submit Efficiency Report (PPR)—a sequence the place we compile and analyze social media posts and campaigns inspiring us, and break down what makes them so genius. We don’t simply study the flawless inventive execution of each publish or marketing campaign, however the enterprise influence, too.

This time, we’re spotlighting manufacturers who actually have their head within the sport. In case you missed it, sports activities advertising and marketing is having a second on social. From skilled and college sports activities groups to elegant use of athletes-turned-influencers, to the model crossovers we by no means noticed coming.

Listed below are among the manufacturers in our “corridor of fame.” Take a cue from their playbooks with a view to faucet into your personal GOAT mentality.

The Dallas Wings convey slam-dunk fashion

American skilled basketball staff the Dallas Wings have been the speak of the WNBA since they landed former school star Paige Bueckers. Bueckers is a Gen Z icon, and has been the protagonist of editorial spreads for publications like GQ and Vogue.

To benefit from the newfound buzz surrounding their franchise, the Wings’ social staff is giving followers what they need: extra vogue. As a result of, sure, gamers can like to put on internet-breaking designer pregame outfits and nonetheless be taken significantly as a number one candidate for Rookie of the Yr.

Walkout movies like this Reel permit followers to see one other facet of their favourite gamers—giving each girl on the court docket an opportunity to showcase their signature fashion. Racking up almost 35,000 likes and numerous hyped fan feedback, this publish is a transparent winner on social.

The social staff even created this meme impressed by the Intercourse and the Metropolis sequence to rejoice the gamers’ sharp fashion and up to date victory. Win or lose, you may rely on these ballers to look good.

The play: The Wings’ social staff noticed their second and took it. With all eyes on Bueckers, they performed into her standing as an influencer and web superstar whereas discovering a technique to incorporate the remainder of the staff. Pregame walkouts aren’t new, however they’re a format that continues to carry out.

Jellycat served up pure cuteness

UK-based plush toy model Jellycat has turn out to be an web darling. Within the final yr, searches for Jellycats have ballooned 95%, largely pushed by TikTok and social buzz surrounding plushies like Bashful Bunny, the Sky Dragon and Bartholomew Bear.

Jellycat’s recognition has been bolstered by their social staff’s capability to insert the model into cultural moments. Take their current social marketing campaign tied to the Wimbledon event.

Within the model’s TikTok video, you may see a bleacher stuffed with Jellycats intently watching an intense tennis match (the winner, Bashful Bunny, is the most-searched of all their merchandise). The cease movement animation was particularly spectacular to followers on-line, with some stating a attainable connection between the scene and an identical one within the well-liked movie, Challengers.

One other cease movement video confirmed Bartholomew Bear serving up cuddles with the model’s new tennis ball toy, a lot to the delight of the bleacher stuffed with stuffed onlookers.

The play: Is it attainable to observe Jellycat’s social video with out audibly saying “awww”? The cease movement movies pull on the coronary heart strings, and even encourage followers to copy their fashion (like this journey and this birthday jig). It’s particularly poignant how they weave collectively their signature animation with key cultural moments like Wimbledon—with out ever mentioning the event by identify (authorized limitations we’re all intimately acquainted with).

Jellycat’s social technique is a wonderful instance of what can occur if you create your personal cultural moments reasonably than chase each pattern.

The LA Kings’ slapstick schedule drop

American ice hockey staff the LA Kings have been a number one power in popularizing the game on the West Coast. Since then, they’ve come a great distance. The staff has counted among the NHL’s most well-known gamers amongst their roster, and took house the Stanley Cup twice.

However the staff doesn’t fall again on their legacy on social. As an alternative, they experiment with creator-led storytelling. Like of their schedule announcement video. A far cry from the simple schedule drops well-liked on social, the Kings’ social staff partnered with the Empty Netters podcast crew. Within the video, the podcasters faux to not know something about hockey or the league, whereas taking focused pictures at particular groups and divisions. The video will get more and more tense and comical because it goes on.

The play: Within the sports activities world, it may be straightforward to over-rely on nostalgia. Whereas that may be helpful when nurturing an current fanbase, it doesn’t at all times enable you to attain new followers. The Kings’ strategy to their schedule launch felt contemporary and disruptive, a recipe for increasing consciousness.

Topgolf tees up influencers & web humor

Sports activities leisure model, Topgolf, gives golfers of all expertise ranges a premium expertise—with numerous music, meals and drinks thrown in, too.

Topgolf’s huge recognition is undeniably influenced by visitor endorsements on social media. It’s laborious to explain simply how satisfying user-generated content material (UGC) from their driving vary is. Topgolf’s social staff understands, and continuously reshares UGC on the model account (whereas giving credit score to the creators, in fact).

Topgolf additionally faucets into influencers and creators to provide content material from their venues, like this skit a couple of golfer who takes his date to Topgolf. The hilarious feedback on the video exhibit simply how properly it resonated with their followers.

The Topgolf social staff additionally has a knack for choosing up on web humor and on-line tradition, whereas making use of it to their distinct viewers. From memes that articulate the humbling expertise of fully lacking the ball to the hysterical accuracy they make use of when breaking down the feedback on their posts.

The play: Topgolf’s social presence is a masterclass in understanding your neighborhood. Whereas that may appear like foolish memes or skits, on a deeper degree it interprets to deeply listening to your clients and studying from their suggestions.

Tottenham Hotspur scores with BTS content material

English soccer membership Tottenham Hotspur, recognized affectionately because the Spurs, are the 2025 Europa league winners. Whereas the staff’s recognition on social is definitely influenced by their dynamite efficiency, the unfiltered, uncooked behind-the-scenes footage their social staff shares retains followers coming again.

Whether or not it’s movies of their staff stretching and warming up, or previous buddies reuniting after a brand new signing, the social staff at all times delivers unscripted, lo-fi and minimally-produced moments. This video of gamers and long-time buddies Pedro Porro and Joao Palhinha was a current instance of their voyeuristic fashion.

Apparently, movies like these are inclined to outperform different evergreen content material the membership posts, a testomony to their attraction. Right here’s one other instance of the staff boarding a airplane for a match in Seoul.

The play: In an enviornment dominated by flashy spotlight reels and extremely produced content material, don’t overlook a lo-fi POV of your gamers. For followers, attending to see an up-close-and-personal view of their heroes will make these bigger than life figures appear extra human.

Knock it out of the park on social

That wraps up this month’s installment of PPR. Keep tuned for subsequent month, the place we’ll be highlighting a few of our favourite back-to-school campaigns. Within the meantime, keep in mind these key takeaways:

For extra on the planet of sports activities, take a look at our deep-dive into the Chicago White Sox’s game-changing technique.