After signing a sponsorship deal with Simons last week, Canada’s first professional women’s soccer league is unveiling a marketing campaign to commemorate its inaugural season and invite Canadians to “Be Where It All Begins.”
Kelly Shouldice, VP of brand and content at the Northern Super League (NSL), tells MiC that the league has allocated its budget primarily towards digital advertising and programmatic media. This strategic decision is aimed at leveraging the existing digital fan base and maximizing results through the “most effective” channels.
The NSL is also rolling out social media ads, as well as OTT and streaming spots, which will help the league reach audiences that prioritize digital and reinforce the campaign’s message in on-demand viewing environments. At the same time, its broadcast partners TSN and CBC Sports are featuring the campaign video on their broadcast and digital platforms. The video showcases the talented athletes from the league’s six clubs.
Media buying was mainly done in-house, with the collaboration of Clickwise Marketing.
According to Shouldice, the media plan was designed to attract a group of sports fans that value high-level competition and experienced female athletes who are already involved in the digital sports landscape and are actively seeking new teams and players to support online.
“By reaching them now, we’re setting ourselves up for sustained ticket sales, growing viewership and long-term brand loyalty,” he says. “Their engagement fuels not only short-term success – like ticket sales and broadcast ratings – but also the league’s cultural relevance and staying power in the Canadian sports ecosystem.”
The NSL introduced the league’s name last May before the clubs’ identities and player rosters had been announced. “It was a name and a vision – but not yet a league fans could connect to on a personal level,” Shouldice says.
With the new campaign, the league seeks to change that by putting players at the forefront, creating an emotional connection with fans and inspiring a sense of patriotism.
“Many already recognize our players from Canada’s National Women’s Team, international tournaments or pro leagues around the world, and we’re meeting that interest with a league that feels both world-class and homegrown,” Shouldice says.
She adds that the goal was to craft a narrative that authentically captures the essence of the league, generating excitement while marking a pivotal moment in Canadian sports history. The league also aims to capitalize on Canada’s growing interest in female athletes and women’s professional sports.
