Bringing energy to women’s sport
- ClientGolf Saudi, ARAMCO
- Services RenderedConcept Development, Commercial Strategy, Marketing Strategy, Brand Strategy
The Aramco Team Series has become one of the most important properties to the women's sporting movement globally. Arriving at a time of broad uncertainty for women's sport (and particularly golf, at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic) it has critically provided a platform for prosperity and is now the most popular event product in golf outside of the women's Majors.
In its role as advisor to Golf Saudi, and in close correspondence with the leadership of Aramco, 54 was tasked with devising a solution which would allow both organisations to assert their commitment to women's sport in key markets globally, by not only contributing to the growing narrative behind female sporting empowerment, but also by creating an unparalleled showcase that would reframe the sport in the minds of global audiences.
19 events in 8 countries
And so, the Aramco Team Series was conceptualised. A worldwide series of five highly innovative and unique events annually, located in key markets for golf and relative to Aramco's repositioning as a global brand.
Combining an innovative format of play where an amateur would contribute to the overall team score, a team-determining draft system, one of the largest prize funds in the women's sport, as well as enhanced standards of event staging, guest & fan experience, brand marketing, and broadcast, the series was unlike anything the world of golf had ever seen.
All of this was underwritten by sustainable practice, incorporating strict regulations regarding energy consumption and single-use plastics and each event being mandated to engage with local communities to leave a positive legacy at all stops on the annual calendar.
"We look forward to ATS events as much as we do the Majors. The partners, sponsors and event organisers know how to make sure we, as players, are as comfortable as possible"
$40million in commercial revenue
300m+ broadcast reach across 83 countries
To date, Aramco Team Series has taken place in eight countries around the globe, showcasing in the best possible manner all that is great about women's golf. It has created an enhanced platform for attracting new audiences to the sport, both through its innovative format, but also by becoming a favoured event among some of the best and most recognisable players in the game.
From a brand perspective, it is now the most-followed product in women's golf outside of the Majors, heightening global interest. From 2023, an innovative partnership with Future Investment Initiative has also allowed the worlds of golf and business to collide through a unique in-event series of corporate events, helping to develop connections between event partners and members of the business community in event markets.
Importantly, the success of the series has provided a platform for the Ladies European Tour to establish a position of improved health following the uncertainties of the COVID-19 pandemic. The tour now boasts record prize funds and playing opportunities for its members.
And, perhaps most interesting and critically to the ongoing success of its title sponsor, Aramco - now a staple brand across the global landscape as a major sponsor of sporting events - it remains the sporting investment which delivers the highest positive sentiment among consumer audiences of any Aramco investment.
