By Katie El Tahchi | Staff Writer
I don’t think anyone saw it coming when the headlines were filled with the announcement of the relationship between Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce. According to a People magazine article, they met through a friend, actor Miles Teller, but that wasn’t just it. Their story has a marketing side to it from its birth. Travis Kelce attended one of Swift’s Eras Tour concerts, wanting to give her a friendship bracelet with his number on it (Gibson K, 2024). It seems taken straight out of a movie script if you ask me. It’s even less credible knowing the extensive publicity mastermind background that Taylor Swift has. Throughout her career, the pop star has had many PR stunt relationships that were far more believable than this one, so what would make us think this time it’s real?
The romance brought the sports industry (and music) a new audience. The NFL has denied any PR scheme being affiliated with the relationship (Bezants J, 2023), with the Senior Vice President of the Marketing cabinet of the league, Marissa Solis refuting any statement saying that the team was on it, and that if it was a PR stunt then they have nothing to do with it. However, no matter how real the relationship is, it has brought into the sports industry a large wave of fans and attention. Taylor Swift has a worldwide influence which means she could bring millions of people into any industry she steps foot in. Football is earning much more revenue now with their new fans, especially girls attending games in hopes of seeing their favorite artist, not to watch the game. With just Taylor’s name related to any football news, the NFL is making loads of money. Fans are increasingly buying merchandise and tickets, while also interacting with their social media posts. Did that many people know who the Kansas Chiefs were before Taylor Swift was dating one of their best players? Would that many girls be interested in watching the games if it wasn’t for the couple of shots they’d get of their icon?
Let’s be honest, especially as a Middle Eastern population whose main sports interest is not American football, it’s actual football (“soccer”) and basketball. Have you heard of Travis Kelce before his name was plastered next to the global icon that Taylor Swift is? Even if you’re not a “Swiftie”, you don’t need to be to acknowledge how much influence she can have. The NFL has undoubtedly benefited from her liaison with Kelce. Around 25 million viewers were watching the football games after the relationship went public, and Kelce’s followers on Instagram went up by around a million (Blasi, W, 2023). Additionally, Kelce merch sales increased by 400% (Blasi, W, 2023). The Chiefs even won the Superbowl last Sunday, which keeps increasing the popularity of the team, and of the sport. Honestly, I can’t deny it, I am a victim of this marketing strategy. My interest in football has increased, and I’m not even a hardcore Swiftie. But the popularity of the sport has affected me, and I’m finding myself searching up the different teams that are in the league, the players, and their performance history. That is exactly what the NFL wanted intentionally or not, let’s be honest. It is questionable as to why such a pop star would get affiliated with a “random” football player, and their meet-cute is too good to be true. It’s probably my biased point of view that speculates the stunt behind it, but something genuinely doesn’t make sense in their romance. If we compare their relationships to others like the one of Alix Earle and football player Braxton Berrios, which have also pumped in more fans into the sports industry, there is a difference, isn’t it? Alix and Braxton’s romance seems more genuine, the two of them look like they have chemistry. Kelce and Swift seem forced, like opposites that do not attract. Travis Kelce being at a Taylor Swift concert to begin with back in July 2023 is unusual, isn’t it? Even if it was coincidently in the same stadium where the Chiefs play, still unusual.
Again, it doesn’t matter if the relationships are real or stunts, in both cases, they are benefiting the industry. They are bringing in international fans, attention, and revenue. From a marketing point of view, creating relationship stunts is such a smart and “discrete” strategy to increase the popularity of a sport, and the NFL was lucky enough to get the most popular female artist in the world to play their game.
Sources
https://people.com/how-did-taylor-swift-and-travis-kelce-meet-8405807
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/nfl/article-12651635/Taylor-Swift-Travis-Kelce-NOT-NFL-publicity-stunt.html
https://www.marketwatch.com/story/the-taylor-swift-effect-travis-kelce-and-the-nfl-see-a-boost-in-merch-sales-and-social-media-followers-62713be5