Unilever is sharpening its long-term sports marketing strategy with a renewed focus on driving growth across its aerosol portfolio, including Sure, Dove and Radox, by embedding the brands in major sporting moments and grassroots participation.
The FMCG giant said sport offers a powerful platform to connect its personal care brands with consumers through culture, emotion and community – a strategy increasingly central to its ambitions for the UK and Ireland aerosols market.
Chris Barron, General Manager for Personal Care UK & Ireland, said that the company’s step-by-step expansion into sports partnerships over the past decade has demonstrated clear commercial benefits.
“Sport inspires passion and emotional connection,” he said. “Our research shows 63% of consumers are more likely to buy from a brand aligned with something they are passionate about, while 74% feel more loyalty to brands involved in sport.
"These partnerships have delivered measurable business growth, brand awareness and deeper consumer engagement.”
Sure and Dove have become increasingly visible across global tournaments, Premier League football and England Rugby partnerships – a deliberate move to keep aerosol deodorants front-of-mind at mass-audience events.
Unilever is prioritising high-reach moments that reinforce everyday product relevance. As Barron put it: “We are looking for scale. It’s about targeting the biggest events and communities to leverage growth.”
Women’s sport is now a major pillar of Unilever’s partnership strategy, with the company serving as an Official Sponsor of UEFA Women’s EURO 2025 and the Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025.
These events allow aerosol brands to tap into fast-growing female audiences while championing inclusion.
Dove, via its Self-Esteem Project, is using sport-based initiatives to tackle confidence issues that lead half of girls to drop out of sport prematurely.
“Showing up for issues that matter deepens engagement and loyalty,” said Barron, noting that purpose-driven impact helps differentiate brands in a competitive aerosols market.
Beyond major tournaments, Unilever is investing heavily in grassroots sport. Its personal care brands support programmes in schools and local clubs, helping to normalise deodorant use among young people while promoting confidence and participation.
“These are the magic touchpoints,” said Barron. “Combining large-scale visibility with genuine grassroots involvement strengthens long-term loyalty.”
Next year’s FIFA World Cup 2026™ – Unilever’s biggest sporting sponsorship yet – will mark a major push to build relevance for deodorant and shower brands among young, digitally native consumers.
Unilever plans to spend half of its advertising investment on social media, aiming to bridge fan culture with product storytelling in real time.
“There’s both a long-term journey and a short-term shift,” Barron said. “We’re focused on creating Desire at Scale through culture and social-first creativity.”
From major tournaments to local clubs, Unilever sees its sports partnerships as a way to drive category penetration, strengthen brand trust and increase purchase frequency.
“Each partnership helps brands show up in meaningful cultural moments,” Barron said. “This drives growth through connection, participation and community, step by step.”
Unilever leans on sports partnerships to boost aerosols growth
