caytoo’s analyst team reveals their Top 5 sponsorship deals in June in terms of the ideas they provide for other rights holders

Our Top 5, in no particular order, aren’t necessarily the biggest or most high-profile. Each one has been selected as it represents best practice or an important lesson for other rights holders and their potential sponsors.

Carving out a specific asset #1
Charlotte Tilbury x Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders

Instead of sponsoring an entire organisation (say, the NFL’s Dallas Cowboys), Charlotte Tilbury has become the official beauty partner of the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders. Not only does this element of the American Football organisation have a much better fit with the product and values of the sponsor but this type of deal can be created to fit in with the budget of a target brand and act as a ‘taster’ before potentially doing a bigger deal.

Lesson: in full article

Carving out a specific asset #2
Kogan.com x Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs

The Australian e-commerce giant has become the “Official Head Coach Partner” of the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs ahead of the club entering the National Rugby League’s Women’s Premiership. As well as various CSR activations, the firm’s branding will feature on the NRLW Head Coach and Coaching staff apparel, and prominently within the NRLW Coaches’ Box at the side’s four home games. This is a similar type of sponsorship to an April deal of the month in which lawn care treatment firm (TruGreen) sponsored a specific element of a rights holder – the groundsmen and ground crews of Minor League Baseball teams.

Lesson: in full article

Aiding the audience experience
Trainline x Primavera Sound Barcelona

The deal between the train ticket sales platform and the music festival puts fans attending at the centre. Activations include The Trainline Friend Finder – a dedicated meeting point where fans can leave a message or snap a photo to connect with their party, a chill-out zone inspired by a train station to unwind and reunite with friends, plus a personalised scheduling tool to make planning around the festival easier.

Lesson: in full article

Targeting different categories
SpudBros x Preston North End

TikTok food creator sensation, SpudBros, has become the front-of-shirt sponsor for English soccer team Preston North End, their local club. It’s the latest example of looking beyond the usual categories to find new ones popping up that could be viable targets. It follows that of YouTube creator MrBeast who became the first creator-led brand to sponsor an NBA team’s jersey (the Charlotte Hornets in 2023). This idea of looking beyond the usual suspects is also covered in our article about the rise of music entities sponsoring sport.

Lesson: in full article

Don’t forget, sponsorship should be fun
SEGA x McLaren F1

One of the main differences between sponsorship now and, say twenty to thirty years ago, is the drop in the number of household-name brands sponsors. The rise of B2B tech firms and the likes of overseas betting and crypto brands means sponsorship today is a far less familiar and relatable landscape to the average consumer.

That’s why it’s refreshing to see a deal featuring an iconic games brand loved the world over. This follows the previous month’s deal between Disney and Formula 1, and exactly like that one, this deal is going to help the rights holder reach a wider and younger global audience. In turn, this will help McLaren further down the line in attracting new sponsors because of its younger audience.

Lesson: in full article

Summary

All these sponsorship deals in June provide an example of the great utility sponsorship provides which all rights holders and brands can look to emulate to benefit both parties. This is particularly the case for rights holders who can come up with their own version to spark a conversation with potential sponsors.