Women’s football isn’t some underground subculture. It’s here and it’s mainstream – and that’s not based on a feeling. Sky Sports reported earlier this year that 80% of UK fans follow both men’s and women’s sports. So why are brands still treating the women’s game like it’s niche, a novelty – or worse, an afterthought?

The hype around the Women’s Euros was huge – packed stadiums, wall-to-wall coverage, records broken and genuine cultural momentum. With the Women’s Super League about to kick off, you’d think brands would be lining up to get involved. But the response so far has been muted. In SEED CLUB, the discussion turned to just how few mainstream names have really stepped up, despite all the opportunity.

Hits

Nike was all over the Euros, but you should also focus on bringing together real fans and building community, it’s the grassroots organisers and their watch parties (including Clwb Creative Cymru and Berlin’s Gyals Got Game) who, according to Sibling Studio, really own the space when it comes to strong brand fit and cultural execution. It makes sense – they’ve been there from the start.

Sibling Studio "Who’s Really Showing Up for Women’s Football?"

Beyond that, Tinder tapped into one of the most relevant insights around women’s football: the lore of WOSO relationships (see below). Their brand film starring Man City’s Kerstin Casparij and her girlfriend Ruth Brown (aka a self-proclaimed WAG) retells how they met on the app – and, unusually for branded storytelling, it actually feels believable. As far as I’ve seen, no one else has picked up on this space, so credit where it’s due.