Post Performance Report: Sports marketing on social that’s reinventing the game

We’re back with another installment of the Post Performance Report (PPR)—a series where we compile and analyze social media posts and campaigns inspiring us, and break down what makes them so genius. We don’t just examine the flawless creative execution of every post or campaign, but the business impact, too.

This time, we’re spotlighting brands who really have their head in the game. In case you missed it, sports marketing is having a moment on social. From professional and university sports teams to sublime use of athletes-turned-influencers, to the brand crossovers we never saw coming.

Here are some of the brands in our “hall of fame.” Take a cue from their playbooks in order to tap into your own GOAT mentality.

The Dallas Wings bring slam-dunk style

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

To take advantage of the newfound buzz surrounding their franchise, the Wings’ social team is giving fans what they want: more fashion. Because, yes, players can love to wear internet-breaking designer pregame outfits and still be taken seriously as a leading candidate for Rookie of the Year.

Walkout videos like this Reel allow fans to see another side of their favorite players—giving every woman on the court a chance to showcase their signature style. Racking up nearly 35,000 likes and countless hyped fan comments, this post is a clear winner on social.

The social team even created this meme inspired by the Sex and the City series to celebrate the players’ sharp style and recent victory. Win or lose, you can count on these ballers to look good.

The play: The Wings’ social team saw their moment and took it. With all eyes on Bueckers, they played into her status as an influencer and internet celebrity while finding a way to incorporate the rest of the team. Pregame walkouts aren’t new, but they are a format that continues to perform.

Jellycat served up pure cuteness

UK-based plush toy brand Jellycat has become an internet darling. In the last year, searches for Jellycats have ballooned 95%, largely driven by TikTok and social buzz surrounding plushies like Bashful Bunny, the Sky Dragon and Bartholomew Bear.

Jellycat’s popularity has been bolstered by their social team’s ability to insert the brand into cultural moments. Take their recent social campaign tied to the Wimbledon tournament.

In the brand’s TikTok video, you can see a bleacher full of Jellycats intently watching an intense tennis match (the winner, Bashful Bunny, is the most-searched of all their products). The stop motion animation was especially impressive to fans online, with some pointing out a possible connection between the scene and a similar one in the popular film, Challengers.

Another stop motion video showed Bartholomew Bear serving up cuddles with the brand’s new tennis ball toy, much to the delight of the bleacher full of stuffed onlookers.

The play: Is it possible to watch Jellycat’s social video without audibly saying “awww”? The stop motion videos pull at the heart strings, and even inspire fans to replicate their style (like this journey and this birthday jig). It’s especially poignant how they weave together their signature animation with key cultural moments like Wimbledon—without ever mentioning the tournament by name (legal limitations we’re all intimately familiar with).

Jellycat’s social strategy is an excellent example of what can happen when you create your own cultural moments rather than chase every trend.

The LA Kings’ slapstick schedule drop

American ice hockey team the LA Kings were a leading force in popularizing the sport on the West Coast. Since then, they’ve come a long way. The team has counted some of the NHL’s most famous players among their roster, and took home the Stanley Cup twice.

But the team doesn’t fall back on their legacy on social. Instead, they experiment with creator-led storytelling. Like in their schedule announcement video. A far cry from the straightforward schedule drops popular on social, the Kings’ social team partnered with the Empty Netters podcast crew. In the video, the podcasters pretend not to know anything about hockey or the league, while taking targeted shots at specific teams and divisions. The video gets increasingly tense and comical as it goes on.

The play: In the sports world, it can be easy to over-rely on nostalgia. While that can be useful when nurturing an existing fanbase, it doesn’t always help you reach new fans. The Kings’ approach to their schedule release felt fresh and disruptive, a recipe for expanding awareness.

Topgolf tees up influencers & internet humor

Sports entertainment brand, Topgolf, offers golfers of all experience levels a premium experience—with lots of music, food and drinks thrown in, too.

Topgolf’s massive popularity is undeniably influenced by guest endorsements on social media. It’s hard to describe just how satisfying user-generated content (UGC) from their driving range is. Topgolf’s social team understands, and frequently reshares UGC on the brand account (while giving credit to the creators, of course).

Topgolf also taps into influencers and creators to produce content from their venues, like this skit about a golfer who takes his date to Topgolf. The hilarious comments on the video demonstrate just how well it resonated with their fans.

The Topgolf social team also has a knack for picking up on internet humor and online culture, while applying it to their distinct audience. From memes that articulate the humbling experience of completely missing the ball to the hysterical accuracy they employ when breaking down the comments on their posts.

The play: Topgolf’s social presence is a masterclass in understanding your community. While that can look like silly memes or skits, on a deeper level it translates to deeply listening to your customers and learning from their feedback.

Tottenham Hotspur scores with BTS content

English football club Tottenham Hotspur, known affectionately as the Spurs, are the 2025 Europa league winners. While the team’s popularity on social is certainly influenced by their dynamite performance, the unfiltered, raw behind-the-scenes footage their social team shares keeps fans coming back.

Whether it’s videos of their team stretching and warming up, or old friends reuniting after a new signing, the social team always delivers unscripted, lo-fi and minimally-produced moments. This video of players and long-time friends Pedro Porro and Joao Palhinha was a recent example of their voyeuristic style.

Interestingly, videos like these tend to outperform other evergreen content the club posts, a testament to their appeal. Here’s another example of the team boarding a plane for a match in Seoul.

The play: In an arena dominated by flashy highlight reels and highly produced content, don’t overlook a lo-fi POV of your players. For fans, getting to see an up-close-and-personal view of their heroes will make these larger than life figures seem more human.

Knock it out of the park on social

That wraps up this month’s installment of PPR. Stay tuned for next month, where we’ll be highlighting some of our favorite back-to-school campaigns. In the meantime, remember these key takeaways:

For more in the world of sports, check out our deep-dive into the Chicago White Sox’s game-changing strategy.