Did Sydney Sweeney sell Novig or merely sell Sydney Sweeney?

By David Alexander, CIPR Sports Committee Chairman

Imagine the presentation taking place inside Novig after the launch of its Sydney Sweeney campaign.

More than 22 million views in two days, a ninefold increase in social media mentions, international media coverage that most emerging sports businesses could never afford and Olympic champions, broadcasters, actors and marketing experts all discussing the advert.

There would be plenty of impressive numbers to place on the screen, but one awkward question ought to follow: after seeing the campaign, what did people actually learn about Novig?

The US prediction market wanted to explain that it concentrates on sport and doesn’t offer trading on elections, wars or deaths, an essential differentiator in an industry where ethics appear optional.

Instead, the public conversation has been dominated by the advert’s star, Sydney Sweeney, appearing naked behind strategically placed sports equipment.

Novig’s ‘Just Sports’ campaign places Sweeney alongside an assortment of balls, rackets and other equipment as she presents the company’s sports-only proposition. She is not simply a paid ambassador. She has joined Novig as a strategic partner and equity holder, having reportedly approached the company and helped shape the campaign.

On that level, it worked magnificently.

But the criticism from female athletes arrived quickly.

Former Olympic swimming champion Ariarne Titmus was among the most vocal, while British sprinter Amy Hunt and boxer Skye Nicolson questioned why women’s bodies were once again being used to market something connected with sport.

Their objections were met with the predictable social media responses such as that the advert was not attempting to depict women’s sport, Sweeney had chosen to participate and Novig was targeting sports bettors rather than Olympic athletes while some athletes showing off tight sports outfits should not now be offended by similarly themed publicity.

Sport possesses an unusually large and emotionally invested collection of stakeholders including supporters, athletes, sponsors, governing bodies, broadcasters, parents and grassroots participants all feel some degree of ownership over how it is presented.

A campaign may be designed for one group, but that doesn’t prevent every other group from interpreting it through its own experiences.

That is a significant change for communications professionals and comes with the baggage of sexism in sport in the not too distant past.

In 2004, then-FIFA president Sepp Blatter suggested that women footballers could attract more supporters by wearing tighter and more feminine clothing.

Other disputes have centred on what women were permitted or required to wear while competing. The rules for Olympic beach volleyball were widened before London 2012 to allow shorts and sleeved tops, making participation more accessible to athletes from different cultures and religions.

Norway’s women’s beach handball team were later fined for wearing shorts rather than bikini bottoms during the 2021 European Championships and the resulting criticism eventually helped to secure a change in the regulations.

From a purely commercial perspective, Novig may decide that none of this matters. According to figures reported by Business Insider, discussion of the company across social media increased more than ninefold after the advert appeared. A challenger business that had struggled for recognition was suddenly part of an international conversation.

However, the same analysis found that only four per cent of the relevant posts were primarily about the app. Most concerned Sweeney and the controversy around her involvement.

There is a danger of allowing the campaign device to overpower the proposition of the business it is meant to promote. The public may remember the advert without remembering what the advertiser wanted to say.

Was Novig wrong to use Sweeney in this way? That depends upon what the company was trying to achieve. If the objective was to establish its name quickly among male sports bettors, the campaign appears to have delivered exceptional reach.

If it wanted to explain why its product is different, build credibility across sport and position itself as a responsible operator, the results are less convincing.

The most effective sports communication understands the culture it is targeting, building a bond between brands, athletes and audiences rather than simply borrowing familiar objects to decorate an unrelated sales pitch.

Novig has made itself famous, at least temporarily while Sweeney has yet again demonstrated that she understands how to turn public fascination into a commercial opportunity.

The female athletes who objected have shown that they will no longer allow other people to define how women in sport should be presented.

Whether sport has gained anything is considerably harder to measure.