Giving world-class athletes the
visibility & recognition they deserve.
NEW BUSINESS WIN
BACKGROUND
In 2023, the Red Stars had the lowest attendance in the NWSL, averaging just 4,848 fans per game.
This humbling statistic isn't a reflection of Chicago's lack of appreciation for women's soccer—its a stark symptom of systemic disadvantage.
PROBLEM
While Chicago's men's teams boast stadiums on prime and accessible real estate, the Red Stars are forced to play in a leased space outside city limits, away from public transportation, nearly inaccessible to their fan base.
In fact, across the United States, there are over 900 stadiums for men's sports. And only 1 purpose-built stadium for women's sports.
AMBITION
Prove that the Red Stars' stadium was the problem—not their talent.
We've been talking about supporting women's sports for far too long. But we couldn't just talk about it any longer—we needed to show that Chicago believes in women's sports.
CHALLENGE
Money is not on the side of women's sports.
With a barely six figure budget and less than eight weeks to execute, we know our idea needed to be fast and scrappy.
STRATEGY
If you build it,
they will come.
This memorable and fittingly thematic line from 1989's baseball classic Field of Dreams is the core idea behind our effort: if women athletes have a proper, centrally located arena to showcase their talents, fans will show up to see them play.
IDEA
To level the playing field, we sent the Red Stars where a women's team hadn't been in 80 years: Wrigley Field.
The venue, typically reserved for the man in the arena, is steeped in history, nostalgia, and cultural cache, making it the perfect stage for the Red Stars to not just show but—but completely take over. By harnessing Wrigley Field’s historical significance, we launched an integrated marketing campaign that called on Chicago to come and witness history.
RESULTS
Garnering 2 billion
earned media impressions, the Red Stars takeover brought in 35,038 fans to Wrigley Field.
We shattered NWSL attendance records and revolutionized the conversation around women's sports viewership forever.
This event was the proof key stakeholders needed to shit down at the table with government level officials and get the public funding necessary for a purpose-built Red Stars stadium.