“It’s a marriage made in heaven,” said Ryan McConnell, executive VP of Sports Monitor at Kantar. “The one area where the NFL is lacking is younger women, and perhaps now younger and middle-aged men will be more aware of her.”
Kelce and Swift also seem like generally safe celebrities for brands to align with. A 2023 Kantar survey of sports fans had Kelce ranked number 15 out of 100 professional athletes in terms of positive reputation, although some right-wing commentators have criticized Kelce for endorsing Bud Light and Pfizer. Swift is not entirely apolitical; she endorsed Democratic congressional candidates in Tennesee in 2018; more recently she urged her followers to register to vote, pointing them to the nonpartisan nonprofit Vote.org, which led to a big surge in registrations.
Other brands making subtle Swift references include Dunkin’, which, in honor of National Coffee Day on Friday, partnered with Little Words Project, a bead-bracelet brand founded in 2013, to make Dunkin’-themed bead bracelets. They bear a striking resemblance to the so-called “Friendship Bracelets” worn by and traded by Swifities, the name given to the collection of Swift fans, at her concerts. (Craft store Michaels saw a spike in bead sales to make them.)
The four Dunkin’ bracelets feature round pink and orange beads with square letter beads that spell coffee-related phrases, including “Iced Coffee,” “Cafecito Time,” “Eat the Donut” and “Get Sip Done.” The Dunkin’ bracelets will be available on September 29, 8 a.m. EST at littlewordsproject.com for $30 each.