The Chicago Sky is about to become the scene for a unique and exciting collaboration between WNBA star Angel Reese and $6.35 billion global toy giant Mattel. The company will stop at nothing to celebrate their brand’s 65th anniversary with Barbie, which reportedly will take over Chicago Sky games in August with branded activations, courtesy of Reese and her contributions. During her time at LSU, where she captured a national championship and many other awards and distinctions, Angel Reese started referring to herself as the “Bayou Barbie.”

Angel Reese is among the most recognizable names in women’s basketball. Since her rise to fame, she has been connected to several high-profile deals. But her latest—inked with Mattel—represents a more significant strategy the company has in place to cement Barbie within popular culture. One source familiar with the deal pegged the partnership as matching Mattel’s $6.35 billion market capitalization, making it a big deal not just for the WNBA but for the sports marketing world at large.

To kick off Barbie’s 65th anniversary this August, Mattel is developing several branded game day activations at various sporting events in the United States. A major point of emphasis is the Chicago Sky Games. As part of that, Reese will be at the forefront of themed giveaways, photo opportunities, branded jerseys, trivia, and more from a promotion standpoint.

This is one of the biggest WNBA collaborations in history, among other major deals with elite players. In 2020, the WNBA partnered up with Glossier, becoming the league’s very first official beauty partner. Another important deal in this respect is the WNBA’s recent acquisition of Mielle, a beauty brand popular for its textured hair care products. It will establish Mielle as the league’s official textured hair care partner, launching during the 2023 WNBA All-Star Game.

The $6.35 billion collaboration

A partnership with Mattel would raise WNBA viewership as the toy giant unleashed its full marketing power. Perhaps even more to the point, Mattel could push its enormous reach to raise awareness for the league onto the radar of entirely new generations of potential fans—namely, young girls. Excitement and curiosity could be brewed with Mattel’s help via WNBA-branded toys and other merchandise, thereby cultivating the interest of the public in general, with young girls participating. Moreover, WNBA players can be well portrayed in large-scale marketing campaigns to popularize them and thus attract new groups of viewers.

The Chicago Sky, as one of the WNBA teams with the best performance, will go quite far with this partnership. Mattel’s Barbie branding in-game not only enhances the game-day experience but also places the team at the side of a brand instantly recognizable all over the world and parallels the team with an empowerment brand. This still caters to diversity and empowerment for the WNBA with the deal—something Barbie has grown toward in recent years, especially with the launch of their newer, more representative doll designs.

These experiences will allow fans coming to the Chicago Sky games to participate in unique, Barbie-themed experiences at the junction of sports and entertainment. Activations are sure to draw in a wide variety of audiences, from avid basketball lovers to Barbie enthusiasts. A recent example of this cross-appeal is the customized Barbie doll given to a Chicago Sky fan, modeled after a WNBA rookie, showing how this relationship is creating special moments across different fanbases.

Stay tuned for more such updates and join us for the exciting second episode of the “Dual Threat Show” as our host, BG12, sits down with Georgia Bulldogs star and Mountain West All-Freshman Team Selection, Asia Avinger.