Album covers, Myspace and trading cards: WNBA teams get creative with All-Star voting campaigns
This WNBA season has a little bit of everything. Thrilling games, impressive rookies and highlight-worthy plays have given spectators much to talk about. With All-Star Weekend fast approaching, there will be more opportunities for people to see the league’s top talent in action.
All-Star Weekend is July 9-10, featuring a number of exciting events for fans to experience. The main event is the WNBA All-Star Game on July 10 (1 p.m. ET, ABC).
To be a starter for the All-Star Game, players must be voted in with a combination of fan, media and player votes. Fans account for 50%, while the media and players represent 25% each. The league’s head coaches select the reserves.
Fan voting began on June 3 and concluded on the 20. During that time, team social media accounts got creative with how to gain votes for players. From Myspace-inspired graphics to paying homage to legendary album covers, squads took it up a level to help secure All-Star roster spots for their athletes.
Here’s a look at some of the best WNBA All-Star social media campaigns:
Remember when Myspace was the go-to social media platform in the early to mid-2000s? Seattle created its version of the website called StormSpace. The team made blog pages for Breanna Stewart, Jewell Loyd, and Ezi Magbegor using a template similar to Myspace’s.
NEW POST from the WNBA LEADING SCORER 👑
RT to vote @breannastewart for #WNBAAllStar! pic.twitter.com/OOCGItgYOL
GoLd MaMbA ~*~ One of the best to ever do it!
RT to vote @jewellloyd for #WNBAAllStar! pic.twitter.com/MkN8h5dYux
The (WNBA leading) expert in using the block button ❌
RT to vote @ezimagbegor for #WNBAAllStar! pic.twitter.com/8LfjtdlNv8
The Aces put their twist on iconic album covers from Outkast, Janet Jackson, Prince and more to promote their players.
Take a trip down “All-Star Road” with the Dream. The squad used inspiration from the Beatles’ classic album “Abbey Road” for their player campaign. Using the project’s album cover style, an Atlanta street and Photoshop, Atlanta replaced John Lennon, Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr and George Harrison with Rhyne Howard, Naz Hillmon and Erica Wheeler.
Chicago, here we come…
To vote, reply to this tweet by tagging your favortite player and using the hashtag #WNBAAllStar⭐️#DoItForTheDream pic.twitter.com/v9xb20sj2r
Who doesn’t love opening a fresh pack of trading cards? Unwrap the Sun All-Star pack, as the team made its own cards to boost its players’ campaigns. The collection features Alyssa Thomas, Jonquel Jones, Courtney Williams, DeWanna Bonner and Brionna Jones. The front shows an image and the player’s signature, while the back contains a synopsis of each athlete’s playing style along with season stats.
This one’s in mint condition. The Engine is the team leader in points, rebounds, assists, and steals- and ranks at least Top 7 in the league per game in each.
Retweet to vote @athomas_25 for #WNBAAllStar pic.twitter.com/P1jdyL660G
We have quite the collection- the reigning MVP is in high demand, and is 5th in the league in both rebounds per game and 3-pointers made per game.
Retweet to vote @jus242 for #WNBAAllStar pic.twitter.com/o3vmh6tufO
To round out the pack- an elite playmaker.
Retweet to vote @CourtMWilliams for #WNBAAllStar pic.twitter.com/hGIS5J8FtR
A rare find- a veteran with a long list of accomplishments that’s still performing at the highest level.
Retweet to vote @DEEBONNER24 for #WNBAAllStar pic.twitter.com/chZBvq4ofg
Invest in this one- a star on the rise that leads the team in offensive rebounds and second chance points.
Retweet to vote @_bjones18 for #WNBAAllStar pic.twitter.com/EXXdw7XFAN
The Wings posted a video of a text exchange debating which Dallas players were deserving of an All-Star nod. Arike Ogunbowale and Marina Mabrey were the two athletes mentioned, accompanied by sweet highlight reels for each player.
idk bout you but we’re so excited for all star!
brb, g2g vote: https://t.co/HQVCY9PGhW pic.twitter.com/iLiTFLKyU8
The team also channeled their inner Hot Girl, using creative character placement as a call to action for their fans to vote. It’s fitting Dallas used the Hot Girl monicker recently revitalized by musician and Texas native Megan Thee Stallion.
prepare for hot girl summer by casting your
(•_•)
<) )/ hot
/
(•_•)
( (> girl
/
(•_•)
📱) )> WNBA All-Star votes
/ https://t.co/Su3Cyb66s0
The Wings then made graphics for Ogunbowale, Mabrey and Allisha Gray. They featured each player’s stats for the year along with emojis that represent their playing styles.
All-Star (noun)
/ˈôlˌstär/
• One who is top 5 in the league in PPG & 3PM and holds the season record for most points in a game
• Arike Ogunbowale
RT to send @Arike_O to #WNBAAllStar! pic.twitter.com/ekXj6obCca
We’re puttin’ our money on Mabrey💰
RT to send @mmabrey1 to #WNBAAllStar pic.twitter.com/xkRkrBkSGI
Vote for her. Or she might block you.
RT to send @Graytness_15 to #WNBAAllStar! pic.twitter.com/AsITprJo15
For athletes, few things are better than a well-composed highlight tape. The Fever’s social media team showed off its video editing skills by creating reels for Kelsey Mitchell, NaLyssa Smith, Destanni Henderson and Queen Egbo. Each player’s clip contained tweets about their performance from various users on Twitter.
time to fan the flames 🔥#WNBAAllStar voting is now LIVE! Vote to send @Kelz_Hoop, @NaLyssaSmith, @QueenEgbo_, and @dh3nny to the All-Star game. 💫#VoteFever | https://t.co/4joiOfJABH pic.twitter.com/X9ZUOVRbtM