Barbie and women’s pro hockey—inside the brand’s deal with the fast-rising PWHL

They rose and cheered as though there’d been a breakaway on the ice. But the 19,000 fans at a Professional Women’s Hockey League game at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto in February were instead applauding a message on the scoreboard informing them the league had reached a marketing partnership with Mattel Inc.’s Barbie. That the newly established league had within months reached a deal with one of the hottest brands in popular culture is one chapter in a “storybook” first season for the PWHL, said Amy Scheer, the league’s senior VP of business operations. Read about Ad Age’s 2024 Leading Women here “It’s everything we hoped it could be and believed it could be; it’s delivered wildly above our expectations,” she said. “Our fans have just turned out in droves. The partnership community has been so receptive of our product, our sport and our players. Our social media has grown significantly, our merchandise flies off the shelves. And so it’s been a brilliant inaugural season, I think, on every front.” Now, as the PWHL playoff finals begin, the brand’s Barbie partnership is coming to life behind newly released apparel and accessories for women and girls. The items, with empowering slogans like “Dream It. Do It” and “Crushin’ Limits,” will be available for purchase beginning today on the league’s website. The partnership had its origins in a LinkedIn conversation between executives at Mattel and the PWHL, centered around brands that both feature strong women appealing to younger girls. “They quite literally reached out to us because they saw what we were doing and liked what we were doing and liked what we stood for,” said Scheer. “That’s been a common theme with a lot of our partners,” she continued. “They want to be part of the growth of women’s sports, the growth of opportunity for young girls, and building future leaders. And so they believe in what we believe.” Also read: Inside the rise of agencies dedicated to women’s sports Picture of the week. My niece at the @PWHL_Toronto playoff game, Barbie in hand. Dream big, kids. pic.twitter.com/eQsD9XT3Om— Caroline Cameron (@SNCaroline) May 11, 2024 The partnership is starting with apparel such as T-shirts and sweatshirts because fans had asked for them—and they were the fastest items to turn around, Scheer said. Additional products are being discussed. “Of course we’d like to have a PWHL Barbie doll, that’s certainly part of the conversation with them,” she said. A video series, presented by Barbie, features PWHL players and young fans interviewing one another. The videos will be shown across broadcast, in-arena and social channels, the PWHL stated. The PWHL is officially partnered with Barbie!! in related news here’s my Barbie doll: pic.twitter.com/2OUPSHPUah— Ally 💕 (@HotGirlsHockey_) March 1, 2024 “At such a pinnacle time in women’s sport, we are excited to share the empowering spirit of Barbie through our collaboration with PWHL,” Meredith Norrie, VP, global licensing and consumer products for Mattel, said in a press release. “As Barbie celebrates 65 years, she remains a constant source of inspiration for fans and society to dream big and follow bold pursuits. We hope this collection will strike a chord in the next generation, encouraging them to reach for the stars and chase their dreams with confidence.” Check out the latest Ad Age events and award programs 40-plus partners More than 40 other partners came to the PWHL in its first year, including big marketers in the U.S. and Canada such as Discover, UPS, Canadian Tire, Scotiabank, Hyundai, e.l.f and Molson. Like Barbie, they were attracted to the league’s message, the growing allure of women’s sports and the quality of play, Scheer said. A strong financial footing—the league and all six of its teams are owned by Guggenheim Partners billionaire Mark Walter, who agreed with players on an eight-year collective bargaining agreement—is also a factor, Scheer said. “There’s funding for the long term and so many pieces of the puzzle are in place for the partners to understand that this business is going to be run at an extremely high professional level, and there will be no cutting corners,” Scheer said. This is in support of quality play on the ice—the league employs what Scheer called the best 150 players in the world. “I think if you look at where women’s sports are going, it’s great that we’ve hit this point today where we are now in the mainstream. We’re definitely in the conversation every day in the sports landscape,” Scheer said. “And that’s a great place to be.”

Barbie and women’s pro hockey—inside the brand’s deal with the fast-rising PWHL

Featured Stories