Paris 2024 Olympics recorded a 50%-50% share of male and female athletes, surpassing previous years’ shares: Tokyo 2020 - 47,8%, Rio 2016 - 45,0%, London 2012 - 44,2%, Beijing 2008 - 42,4%, Athens 2004 - 40,7% and Sydney 2000 - 38,2%. This is not the only case. The Women in Sports Marketing Partnerships 2023-24’ report of Sponsor United found that the number of sponsorships in women's sports grew by over 22% year-on-year across leagues, athletes, and teams from 2023 to 2024. The report further found that the OVER 5.500 sponsorship deals were activated in that period with major events being Tennis and Gold. The most contributed associations are the Ladies Professional Golf Association (1,100) with 223 new deals and World Tennis Association (1,080) with 275 new deals. The top women’s professional sports leagues are World Tennis Association (+26%), Ladies Professional Golf Association (+25,5%), National Women's Soccer League (+18%), Australian Football League Women (+13%), and Women’s Super League (+11%).

Globally, the most active category in the number of sponsorship deals across professional sports leagues for women from 2023-2024 is Apparel & Accessories (229), followed by Financial (184), Constructive & Industrial (162), Healthcare (161) and Government (159).

Here are the ways the beauty labels use sports events as their marketing arena.

Athletic and Team Collaborations

Collaborating with athletes and sports teams has been a part of the marketing approaches for the brands in general. Beauty and skincare brands are looping in the personalities who are major figures of a game or from the same country as their origin. One has to acknowledge that the athletes and teams have a high follower count on their social media.

Bollywood actress Katrina Kaif’s Kay Beauty partnered with Nykaa to become the title sponsor of the women's team of Uttar Pradesh, UP Warriors, in the Women's Premier League (WPL) in 2024. At the same game, Mumbai Indians collaborated with Lovechild by Masaba in 2024, and Lotus Herbals who took the role of title sponsor in 2023.

In 2022, Clinique named the rugby player of England, Holly Aitchison, as its Game Face Ambassador. In 2024, Mielle of the US-appointed the NBA player Angel Reese as its brand ambassador. Femfresh joined forces with the British women’s Super League team West Ham United (WHUW) as its Feminine Hygiene Partner. Angel City FC collaborated with NYX Cosmetics, encompassing a half-ownership of the team. In 2024, the brand was announced to be the new sleeve sponsor for multiple years. NYX Cosmetics also chose US gymnast Shilese Jones as its first individual-athlete partner. In the same year, K18 appointed the Olympic Gymnastics champion Simone Biles as its brand ambassador. Glossier became the official beauty partner for the USA women’s basketball team in the Paris Paralympics and Olympics in July 2024.

In April 2024, E.L.F. partnered with the race driver Katherine Legge. It marked the brand as the first beauty brand sponsor at the Indy 500. Maybelline hired rugby player Ilona Maher as its brand ambassador. In 2023, Ulta Beauty became the official beauty retailer of Chicago Red Stars.

Sponsoring Sports Events

Notable beauty brands are becoming the official sponsors of the sports competition instead of/along with collaborating with the players. A major example of a non-beauty brand is LVMH Moët Hennessy - Louis Vuitton becoming the premium partner for the Olympic and Paralympics Games in Paris 2024.

Charlotte Tilbury partnered with F1 (Formula One) Academy for 2024 as the official partner and sponsor. The brand has become the first female-launched beauty label to team up with F1 Academy, a female single-seater championship. The partnership has a common goal of encouraging and empowering young women to seek their goals.

Glossier has been a partner and supporter of the WNBA since 2020. The partnership involved several projects to support young girls to play and become pros in basketball and stay in the lane irrespective of the societal and external pressure they may face.

La Roche-Posay has been named as the official sunscreen Partner of the US Open for the years 2022 and 2023. Fenty Beauty was the premier partner and sponsor of the Paris Olympics and Paralympics Games 2024. Sephora assisted in sponsoring the Olympic Torch Relay in Marseille in May 2024 with activations open at 40 locations.

E.l.f. is all set to ally with Gainbridge’s Billie Jean King Cup (BJKC), the world cup of tennis for women, as the cosmetic and skin partner. The brand will also be the co-host for the first Power of Women’s Sports Summit. Unilever Group, the owner of Rexona, Dove, Lux, and more, is the official sponsor for the FIFA World Cup from 2023 to 2027.

Special Campaigns

Influencer marketing campaigns launched by beauty labels have achieved 14 times more reach and 3,2 times higher engagement than non-influencer campaigns. Special campaigns involve featuring the athletes and/or the team in the brands’ campaign for a particular collection and product or educational purposes. The campaign will be either centred on a specific sports event or in general.

In the time of 2024 Olympics, Milani Cosmetics looped in weightlifter Mattie Rogers, gymnast Jordan Chiles, volleyball star Chiaka Ogbogu, and WNBA player Sabrina Ionescu to promote its setting spray, Make It Last, with a social media campaign. Schwarzkopf Professional featured tennis player Venus Williams, gymnast Aly Raisman, and basketball player Megan Blunk in its Up Your Hair Game campaign. Maybelline’s brand ambassador Ilona Maher showcased its ‘war paint’ red Super Stay matte ink lipstick in her social media accounts.

Olay showcased its Cleansing Melts as the official face wash for the USA women’s basketball team. The brand also teamed up with soccer player Rose Lavelle, track and field runners Sha’Carri Richardson and Athing Mu, climbing champion Natalia Grossman, and gymnast-cum-commentator Laurie Hernandez.

The swimmer Chris Jacobs endorsed Mad Rabbit, a tattoo-positive skincare brand, for the Olympics 2024. Kiss Nails partnered with the US gymnast Suni Lee as the face of its new Salo X-tend soft gel extensions. Dermalogica hired US beach volleyball players Taryn Kloth and Kristen Nuss as well as track and field athlete Dalilah Muhammed to be a part of its campaign for the Dynamic Skin Recovery SPF 50 sunscreen. Glossier showcased WNBA players for the launch campaign of Stretch Fit Fluid Foundation in 2023.

CeraVe showcased actor Michael Cera for its first-ever ad telecasting on a Super Bowl in 2024. The ad has a playful narrative of the actor as the main character behind the creation of the brand. As a result, the ad got the attention of many viewers and media personalities.

According to the Women in Sports Marketing Partnerships 2023-24’ report by Sponsor United, Estée Lauder’s social media campaign with Brittany Isenhour of NWSL (which created a 31% engagement rate) on TikTok is in the first position of creating high engagement per social campaign, followed by Adidas x Hailey Van Lith of NCAA (20% engagement rate) on Instagram.

Sports and Beauty Brands Partnerships

Another way of communicating one’s support for sports is to collaborate with a fellow sports-based brand, especially apparel such as Nike, Puma, and Adidas. In this way, the beauty brand can have a co-owned way of getting in touch with its potential audience who are sports fans.

In January 2019, Puma and Maybelline collaborated on a sporty 12-piece make-up collection, comprising sweat-proof mascara, long-lasting lipsticks, and more. Adidas joined hands with Farmacy Beauty to launch essentials in skincare that can be used after a workout. In addition, Adidas partnered with Rimmel London to release a set of skincare and makeup products for active women.

It does not have to be a capsule collection launch. Brands can think of another way to communicate with their consumers. In 2019, Lululemon Athletica and Sephora collaborated to open in-store pop-ups to promote the former beauty and self-care items designed by the athletes themselves for people with active lifestyles such as sweat-proof makeup and hydrating mists.
Labels can encourage co-branding through cross-industries too. E.L.F. became the founding partner of the Sports Audio Network of iHeart Women, an audio channel focusing on women’s sports. E.l.f. will be hosting “The Rennae Stubbs Tennis Podcast” live recording at the Power of Women’s Sports Summit.

Educational and Philanthropic Approaches

The most important promotion of all is using this sports platform to educate and help people. Beauty brands are trying to educate the audience with several educational topics through sports events and many have created a huge impact too.

Glossier has joined forces with the basketball-based non-profit renovation organisation Project Blackboard and the artist Na Chainkua Reindorf to renovate the Tompkins Square Park basketball court in East Village of New York. This refurbishing was taken into full-fledged action after the brand’s Stretch Fluid Foundation campaign was shot at the court. After opening, the court hosted a game for the local young basketballers.

In 2023, Dove teamed up with Nike to introduce the ‘Body Confident Sport’ program, an online coaching space to support and build confidence among girls aged between 11 and 17 to pursue their sports aspirations. Sephora had its pop-ups for Olympics 2024 which offered giveaways and educational sessions for the consumers.

Sometimes, athletes become the proud owners of beauty brands. In April 2024, tennis champion Serena Williams launched her cosmetics line, Wyn Beauty. Ilona Maher announced that she will be launching her own skincare brand for female athletes. Pro surfer Kelly Slater launched an SPF-based skincare brand, named Freaks of Nature in May 2024. LeBron James has The Shop, a men’s grooming brand, in April 2024. Tennis player Naomi Osaka founded a personal skincare line, Kinlo in September 2021. Former NFL player Michael Strahan launched a personal men’s skincare brand, Daily Defense, in 2022.

Cover Image: Angel City FC x NYX Professional Makeup, courtesy Sports Business Journal.