Sydney, girl, I have a question.
Respectfully, what was the marketing meeting for Novig like?
How did, somewhere in a cold conference room, a group of people look at a sports “prediction” platform, look at Sydney Sweeney, look at all the sports equipment, and say: Yes. This is epic.
And once it went live, we all ended up talking about it.
Novig, the said platform, launched its “Just Sports” ad campaign starring Hollywood’s very own Sydney Sweeney on Sept. 9. The actress appeared in little to no clothing while posing with various equipment used for different sports, with the campaign showing Novig’s interest in sports predictions. Sweeney is also a strategic partner and equity holder in the company.
As a marketing student, I kind of have to admit that it’s impossible to ignore.
But I really have to ask: is this about sports?
Whenever we hear of a “sports advertisement,” we think of athletes. The competition, the drive, the strength, the teamwork. Moreover, we see discipline. The hours of practice that no one sees or understands. Instead, in this very particular ad, the equipment is merely for show, and Sweeney, despite being an actress who is in no way connected to sports, takes the centerpiece.
Another important detail that is extremely important to mention:
Novig is not selling sports. It is, however, fueling a sports predicting addiction.
Novig operates in the prediction space, allowing users to trade on sports and earn other outcomes. So not exactly sports, but also, sports. So, when the campaign says, “Just Sports,” I can’t help but think: Not really.
It is basically a mixture of sports, sexuality, celebrity, and prediction games mixed into one weird campaign. The nudity was not supposed to be the point, but it is a big part of the conversation. Before anyone comes for me and says that Sweeney can do whatever she wants with her body, as it is her body, let me just clarify this:
Yes. She can.
She is an adult; she has the ability to make her own choices about what to wear, what to do, what to act in, and how she wants to present herself. But in the context of this ad, it doesn’t make sense. There is a big difference between a woman choosing to be sexual and a corporation using her sexuality as a way of selling something that in itself is questionable.
And this is the point where it all goes dark.
Women have spent decades, centuries even, fighting for the autonomy of their own bodies, while also fighting against the idea that it’s only their bodies that are the most important thing about themselves.
So, what happens when this is reversed, when a company takes a woman’s body and uses it in a setting for a sports predicting product? Is this a kind of empowerment? Or is it just in the name of freedom and feminism?
The Athletes Showed Up, Together, United
This celebrity advertisement quickly became a larger conversation surrounding the women in sports. Female athletes began criticizing the campaign for what they saw as the sexualization of women in athletics. Then came something I found more powerful: women in sports showing what it is to be a female athlete.
The conversation shifted; it wasn’t about the ad anymore, it was about women standing up for themselves again.
Women all around started saying:
This is what a woman can do.
This is what my body does.
Muscles. Sweat. Bruises. Injuries. Medals. Losses.
This isn’t the first time in history that women have had this conversation. It definitely won’t be the last. The debate over women’s bodies has been going on for generations.
My favorite part was women responding by putting their own bodies and achievements into the conversation and not just saying, “this ad is offensive.” They showed what women in sports actually look like.
Sydney, respectfully, as a marketing student, Novig got one thing right:
People are talking about it.
But is it liked?
To all the women who responded by showing strength: you are worth paying attention to.
It isn’t “Just Sports.” And it wasn’t just an advertisement.