ABOUT

We’re incredibly proud to have partnered with Barclays to deliver the strategy, content and PR for the first title sponsorship of the FA’s Women’s Super League, which this season became the first professional women’s football league in Europe.

Renamed the ‘Barclays FA Women’s Super League’, the eight-figure investment is a record for women’s sport in the UK. It will transform the future of the game, bringing significant prize money to top teams and providing more opportunity for thousands of girls to enter the sport at a grass roots level, with the FA Girls School Partnership.

Leading up to the partnership, Iris’ Sponsorship team worked closely with Barclays. We reviewed Barclay’s current sponsorships to determine what would enable the organisation to focus on its core purpose as opportunity makers for people.

Barclays has a heritage in supporting cultural and societal assets such as The Premier League and Barclaycard British Summertime. But we felt it could go further to help women’s football to become recognised and supported at an equal level to men’s, whilst forging a distinct and empowering identity of its own.

Tom Corbett, Group Head of Sponsorships and Media for Barclays said, “The launch of Barclays’ landmark partnership with the Women’s Super League was only made possible thanks to Iris. From identifying and shaping the opportunity through to a seamless internal and external launch, we couldn’t have asked for a better partner – and a true extension of our Sponsorship team. We’re excited about the road ahead, working together to transform grassroots football for women & girls.”

The partnership was announced at a press event at Bacon’s College, Canary Wharf on Wednesday 20th March. Our PR team managed the announcement, negotiating messaging and defining media strategy with The FA’s press office. The announcement gained coverage across major news and sports outlets across the country.