Pinterest just signed its first sports deal ever with the New York Liberty

Fast Company

5 days ago

Your Ellie the Elephant Pinterest pinboard just became official. Pinterest has announced that its first-ever sports partnership will be with the WNBA champions New York Liberty.
The social platform has made its name as a crucial resource for anyone planning a wedding or home renovation, but global head of consumer marketing Sara Pollack says the move into sports reflects a broader ambition.
'Pinterest is a really interesting place for fandom,' says Pollack. 'It's not where you're going to see highlights from last night's game. We have research that shows that Pinterest users are much more likely than non-Pinterest users to be looking for things like Game Day outfits, sports-themed recipes, and inspiration for hosting watch parties. So the unique role Pinterest plays is for those who have an immense fandom for something. It's a place where those fans come to weave their fandom into a variety of things. And for us, that's such an interesting opportunity.'
Pinterest's revenue is up 17% year-over-year, according to its second quarter reporting earlier this month. Monthly active users surged 10% year-over-year to a record 570 million. The two-year deal is a boost for Pinterest, and will focus on the two brands collaborating through curated Pinterest boards, on-platform editorial content, and community outreach programs. A new content series called 'Away Game Fashion' will go deep on the connection between hoops and fashion inspiration. Pinterest is also investing in refurbishing basketball backboards in the New York area.
Pinterest searches for 'WNBA tunnel outfits' were up over 2,000%, with terms like 'Sabrina Ionescu shoes pink' up 1,706%, NY Liberty WNBA up 306%, and Ellie the Elephant' spiking 168%. Pollack says fans are already using the platform to make the game part of their identity, and this new deal aims to give them more tools to do it.
Brand beyond the court
The New York Liberty are not only out to a winning record on the court early in this WNBA season, the club has signed 19 new brand partners. Three years ago, CEO Keia Clarke was in a strategy meeting. The team's head of sponsorship asked everyone to go around the room and tell everyone what brands and platforms everyone was using most. 'And I said Pinterest!' says Clarke. So this one is particularly personal.
The WNBA overall has excelled at bringing in corporate sponsors like Bumble, Glossier, and over-the-counter contraception brand Opill, beyond the NBA's usual brand suspects. Here, the Liberty are making a similarly bespoke brand move.
From the team's perspective, it's been building a cultural connection with its fans for years, a bond perhaps most consistently expressed through its marketing gold mascot Ellie the Elephant. But Clarke sees the Pinterest partnership as yet another way to strengthen those bonds far beyond the court.
'Whether you're in the arena at a game or watching on television from home, or you're on Pinterest or at a community event, we want to always have that touch point with our fans that feels authentic and real, but it feels continuous,' says Clarke. 'So this partnership in particular, it's about looking at the search data, and figuring out how we can provide more moments for people to showcase their pride in our team, and showcase who they are as fans. Those are the moments for us that create generational longevity. That's how you create real fandom that never goes away.'