Submit Efficiency Report August 2025

We’re again with one other installment of the Submit Efficiency Report (PPR)—a collection 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 submit or marketing campaign, however the enterprise affect, too.

This time, we’re spotlighting manufacturers who actually have their head within the sport. In case you missed it, sports activities advertising 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 the intention to faucet into your personal GOAT mentality.

The Dallas Wings carry slam-dunk type

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

To make the most of the newfound buzz surrounding their franchise, the Wings’ social staff is giving followers what they need: extra trend. As a result of, sure, gamers can like to put on internet-breaking designer pregame outfits and nonetheless be taken critically as a number one candidate for Rookie of the 12 months.

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 type. Racking up almost 35,000 likes and numerous hyped fan feedback, this submit is a transparent winner on social.

The social staff even created this meme impressed by the Intercourse and the Metropolis collection to rejoice the gamers’ sharp type and up to date victory. Win or lose, you possibly can 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 celeb whereas discovering a strategy 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 12 months, 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 reputation has been bolstered by their social staff’s capacity to insert the model into cultural moments. Take their latest social marketing campaign tied to the Wimbledon match.

Within the model’s TikTok video, you possibly can see a bleacher filled 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 mentioning a doable connection between the scene and an analogous one within the standard 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 filled with stuffed onlookers.

The play: Is it doable to look at Jellycat’s social video with out audibly saying “awww”? The cease movement movies pull on the coronary heart strings, and even encourage followers to duplicate their type (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 match by identify (authorized limitations we’re all intimately aware of).

Jellycat’s social technique is a superb instance of what can occur whenever you create your personal cultural moments somewhat than chase each pattern.

The LA Kings’ slapstick schedule drop

American ice hockey staff the LA Kings had been a number one pressure in popularizing the game on the West Coast. Since then, they’ve come a good distance. The staff has counted among the NHL’s most well-known gamers amongst their roster, and took residence 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 standard on social, the Kings’ social staff partnered with the Empty Netters podcast crew. Within the video, the podcasters fake to not know something about hockey or the league, whereas taking focused photographs 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 present fanbase, it doesn’t all the time allow you to attain new followers. The Kings’ strategy to their schedule launch felt recent 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 large reputation 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 ceaselessly 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 few golfer who takes his date to Topgolf. The hilarious feedback on the video reveal simply how nicely it resonated with their followers.

The Topgolf social staff additionally has a knack for selecting 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 group. Whereas that may appear to be foolish memes or skits, on a deeper stage 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 reputation 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 pals reuniting after a brand new signing, the social staff all the time delivers unscripted, lo-fi and minimally-produced moments. This video of gamers and long-time pals Pedro Porro and Joao Palhinha was a latest instance of their voyeuristic type.

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 this planet of sports activities, try our deep-dive into the Chicago White Sox’s game-changing technique.