‘We’ve been there long before this tournament’: Nike on leading the charge in women’s sport
As the Matildas frenzy begins to fade, Nike Pacific’s narrative and communications lead Abbey Wirth and marketing director Andy Keith reflect on the brand’s involvement during the recent global tournament, how to navigate in a crowded brand space, and their plans for the ‘next decade of her’.
Nike was one of many brands this year at the tournament, as a major sponsor of the CommBank Matildas. But the sporting giant is no fair-weather friend: Nike has been partnering with the team for 20 years already and leading the charge in commercialising women’s sport.
“We’ve been there long before this tournament,” Wirth says. “I think the spotlight definitely gives us an opportunity to accelerate the brand forward and push sport to the future, but we’ve believed in these athletes long before a global tournament was announced on home soil.
“We’ve worked with Sam Kerr from when she was just 16 years old, she was the first female ever to be the global face of a [football] boot…And we’ve had long term relationships with many of the team, Hayley Raso, Steph Catley, Ellie Carpenter, Mackenzie Arnold and more.”
