--- title: Athlete Marketing Case Studies | OpenSponsorship Success description: Explore brand success stories using OpenSponsorship’s athlete influencer marketing. See how brands like Walmart and Ka'Chava achieved major results. image: https://opensponsorship.com/hubfs/texas%20roadhouse%20case%20study_1%20(1)-4.png --- [Skip to content](https://opensponsorship.com/learn-more/case-studies/athlete-brand-partnerships#main-content) [![OpenSponsorship_logo](https://opensponsorship.com/hs-fs/hubfs/OpenSponsorship_logo-Apr-28-2022-02-29-33-93-AM.png?width=892&height=150&name=OpenSponsorship_logo-Apr-28-2022-02-29-33-93-AM.png "OpenSponsorship_logo")](https://opensponsorship.com/?hsLang=en) - [Blog](https://blog.opensponsorship.com/) - [Create an Account](https://opensponsorship.com/registration?type=brand&utm_source=NFL+guide&utm_medium=NFL+guide&utm_campaign=NFL+guide&utm_id=NFL+guide&utm_term=NFL+guide&utm_content=NFL+guide&hsLang=en) ![Heart Full](https://opensponsorship.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Heart%20Full.png?width=1000&height=1000&name=Heart%20Full.png "Heart Full") ## Learn How Our Sponsors And Athletes Reach Millions How Alex Albon and OnePlus reached nearly 2 million people and got 5k giveaway entries in 24 hours with a single reel!  [Read More](https://learnmore.opensponsorship.com/alex-albon-case-study) # The Latest # How to Successfully Launch a New Product into Market How **Just One Protein **partnered with OpenSponsorship to launch their newest product, using athlete-driven content and multi-platform campaigns to generate strong engagement, measurable ROI, and authentic connections with target consumers. ![583fce29-92f1-4934-8915-975147fde32b](https://opensponsorship.com/hs-fs/hubfs/583fce29-92f1-4934-8915-975147fde32b.jpg?width=1280&height=1709&name=583fce29-92f1-4934-8915-975147fde32b.jpg "583fce29-92f1-4934-8915-975147fde32b") [Read More](https://learnmore.opensponsorship.com/just-one-protein-launch) ![Screenshot 2026-05-27 at 1.34.42 PM](https://opensponsorship.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Screenshot%202026-05-27%20at%201.34.42%20PM.png?width=722&height=624&name=Screenshot%202026-05-27%20at%201.34.42%20PM.png "Screenshot 2026-05-27 at 1.34.42 PM") ## How an Athlete Can Represent Your Lifestyle and Beauty Brand How OpenSponsorship has revolutionized the way brands and athletes collaborate by making sponsorships more accessible, authentic, and effective for businesses of all sizes.     [Read More](https://opensponsorship.com/blog/how-an-athlete-can-represent-your-lifestyle-and-beauty-brand?hsLang=en) ## Featured Partner Case Studies Explore real-world brand success stories using OpenSponsorship’s athlete influencer marketing. See how brands like Walmart and Ka'Chava achieved major results! ### [![LIV Golf Case Study IG-1](https://opensponsorship.com/hubfs/LIV%20Golf%20Case%20Study%20IG-1.png) Sponsorship Strategies Ka'Chava How Ka'Chava developed an athlete and influencer marketing strategy by leveraging OpenSponsorship.](https://learnmore.opensponsorship.com/kachava-case-study?hs_preview=AXccQKSC-178649377707) ### [![Harmless harvest OpenSponsorship case study](https://opensponsorship.com/hubfs/1-Jan-05-2024-08-40-49-1349-PM.png) Brand Awareness Harmless Harvest How Harmless Harvest is working with college athletes to build on-campus awareness.](https://learnmore.opensponsorship.com/harmless-harvest-case-study) ### [![JD Sports OpenSponsorship case study](https://opensponsorship.com/hubfs/2-Jan-05-2024-08-40-49-1001-PM.png) In-Person Appearance JD Sports How JD Sports is changing the retail game with in-store athlete appearances.](https://learnmore.opensponsorship.com/en/jd-sports-case-study) ### [![OpenSponsorship case study page_3](https://opensponsorship.com/hubfs/7-Feb-02-2024-08-24-22-7387-PM.png) Event Promotion Hydrow, AIG, LIV Golf Hydrow, AIG, and LIV Golf leverage Athlete partnerships to promote their events.](https://learnmore.opensponsorship.com/athlete-event-promotion) ### [![Sperry open sponsorship case study](https://opensponsorship.com/hubfs/3-Jan-05-2024-08-40-49-0626-PM.png) Social Posts Sperry Sperry rebuilds their brand image to be more inclusive with Athlete partners.](https://learnmore.opensponsorship.com/sperry-case-study) ### [![Leaf trading cards OpenSponsorship Case Study](https://opensponsorship.com/hubfs/4-Jan-05-2024-08-40-49-1294-PM.png) Athlete Sourcing Leaf Trading Cards How Leaf Trading Cards uses OpenSponsorship to contact any Athlete they want to partner with. ](https://learnmore.opensponsorship.com/leaf-trading-card-signables-case-study) ### [![1MD nutrition OpenSponsorship case study](https://opensponsorship.com/hubfs/5-Jan-05-2024-08-40-49-1399-PM.png) Social Posts 1MD Nutrition 1MD Nutrition compares traditional social media influencers to athlete influencers.](https://learnmore.opensponsorship.com/1md-nutrition-case-study) ### [![Dyper OpenSponsorship Case Study](https://opensponsorship.com/hubfs/6-Jan-05-2024-08-40-49-0704-PM.png) Ad Spend Dyper Dyper finds their Athlete partner and then runs social ads to improve ROI. ](https://learnmore.opensponsorship.com/dyper-case-study) Book a 15-min Call with Our Team of Athlete Marketing Professionals! ## Athlete Partnership Case Studies #### [Stitch Fix Stitch Fix wanted to reach men who follow sports but don't think of themselves as fashion-forward, and prove that their personalized styling service works for any body type or lifestyle. Through OpenSponsorship, they partnered with rising NFL stars Marquise Brown, Kyle Pitts, and Fred Warner, each representing different teams and audience demographics across the country. OpenSponsorship sent professional photographers to each athlete's home city to shoot the content, resulting in 360,000 views and a 5% engagement rate, well above the industry average for branded content.](https://learnmore.opensponsorship.com/stitchfix-case-study) #### [Callaway & LIV Golf Callaway and LIV Golf took two very different approaches to athlete and creator marketing, and both paid off. Callaway focused on micro golf influencers and college athletes to drive a 9.1% engagement rate for their new Fairway Bag Series, using "What's In My Bag" and unboxing content to reach highly targeted, conversion-ready audiences. LIV Golf went macro, deploying 10 high-impact creators for behind-the-scenes tournament content that generated nearly 2 million views and a 10.7% engagement rate. Together, the campaigns offer a side-by-side blueprint for when to use macro vs. micro influencer strategies in sports marketing.](https://opensponsorship.com/learn-more/how-top-brands-leverage-opensponsorship-to-win-callaway-and-liv-golf?hs_preview=hRdeSGEk-211885740584&hsLang=en) #### [Walmart Walmart wanted to position their Free Assembly line as a serious contender in affordable fashion, and needed athletes with built-in credibility to make it believable. OpenSponsorship matched them with NFL superstars Justin Fields, Micah Parsons, and Jamal Adams, each with 500k+ followers and engagement rates above 5%, who wore the Summer Collection in professional shoot content with a clear CTA to visit their local Walmart. The campaign reached over 2.6 million followers, drove 860,000+ impressions, and hit a 17% engagement rate, 8x the industry benchmark, with 110,000 total engagements and 2,000 direct website clicks.](https://learnmore.opensponsorship.com/walmart-case-study) #### [Quorn Quorn needed more than a one-off social post, they needed a content library that could fuel their UGC pipeline and be repurposed across social media and digital ads for months. Through OpenSponsorship, they partnered with 3x Pro Bowl NFL safety Jamal Adams, who was a natural fit as someone who had already transitioned away from animal products. Quorn secured three full hours of studio time with Jamal, producing multiple commercials that collectively surpassed one million views and generated a bank of reusable content assets across every major channel.](https://learnmore.opensponsorship.com/quorn-case-study) #### [Levi's + Dick's Levi's and Dick's Sporting Goods came to OpenSponsorship with a tight budget but high ambitions, they needed recognizable athletes across football, basketball, and soccer to drive awareness of Levi's apparel available in Dick's stores. OpenSponsorship matched them with four professional athletes including NFL and NBA stars, who were given creative freedom to style the looks and bring their families into the content. The campaign generated 39,000 likes and hit a 6% engagement rate at its peak, well above industry averages.](https://learnmore.opensponsorship.com/levis-dicks-sporting-goods-case-study) #### [Immunotec Immunotec wanted to introduce their wellness and performance products to highly engaged health audiences through content that felt real, not sponsored. They partnered with OpenSponsorship to bring 70 local wellness creators to their Glow Wellness Weekend in Houston, an immersive two-day event designed to naturally generate authentic social content. The campaign resulted in over 2 million Instagram impressions, 50,000+ TikTok views, and 500+ Instagram Stories, with creators voluntarily posting far beyond their contracted deliverables because the experience itself was compelling enough to share.](https://opensponsorship.com/learn-more/immunotec-wellness-event-creators?hsLang=en) #### [Sauce on the Side Sauce on the Side, a fast-casual calzone chain with 10 St. Louis locations, wanted to grow beyond a local favorite and build real digital credibility. Through OpenSponsorship's Full-Service Plan, they secured partnerships with WNBA star Lexie Hull, whose giveaway post drew engagement from Caitlin Clark and hit 188,000+ views, and NHL star Jordan Binnington, whose signature "Binner Calzone" and performance-based BOGO promotion tied fan loyalty directly to game-day results. The 12-month campaign transformed the brand from a regional restaurant into a digitally authoritative name synonymous with St. Louis sports culture.](https://learnmore.opensponsorship.com/boosting-digital-presence-through-athlete-partnerships-sauce-on-the-side?hs_preview=QYXUPurx-210269300318) #### [Launch Activations Some brands need athletes at scale. Others need the perfect two. OpenSponsorship delivered both simultaneously. For Zoop, they reached 1,226+ athletes in 90 days and converted 70+ elite partners to fuel a consistent athlete content engine. For POPOLOGY's NYC launch, they hand-curated talent, managed vetting calls, and flew to New York to execute live "Popcasts" and a social blitz that reached over 20,000 unique accounts. The case study is a direct answer to brands asking how to build high-volume athlete programs without sacrificing quality or burning internal resources.](https://learnmore.opensponsorship.com/popology?hs_preview=ccdCSvPx-210076093247) ## Athlete Sponsorship Programs Case Studies #### [Vitamin Shoppe Vitamin Shoppe is one of the largest health supplement retailers in the U.S., but managing athlete sponsorships through Instagram DMs, email, and spreadsheets wasn't cutting it. They partnered with OpenSponsorship to build a fully managed athlete ambassador program, running 124 deals across 52 athletes ranging from NFL stars like Terrell Owens to niche CrossFit influencers, with a combined potential social reach of 45 million. As their Senior Brand Manager put it, they did more athlete influencer work in a few months than the brand had done in years, all tracked and managed in one place.](https://learnmore.opensponsorship.com/vitamin-shoppe-case-study) #### [Diamond Kinetics Diamond Kinetics makes performance tracking technology for baseball and softball players, and they needed an NIL strategy that would put their product directly in the hands of the college athletes their target audience looks up to. Before OpenSponsorship, their team was managing athlete relationships through a combination of Instagram DMs, email, and Excel, a process that led to slow turnarounds, missed deliverables, and payment risks. After switching to OpenSponsorship's Full-Service plan, they built a program with over two dozen college athletes, hit 300,000+ in reach, and achieved engagement rates above 10%, a direct result of working with smaller, highly engaged creator communities.](https://learnmore.opensponsorship.com/diamond-kinetics-case-study) #### [Jabra Jabra North America needed to seed their wireless headphones and earbuds to a massive, targeted audience without losing quality control across hundreds of athletes. Through OpenSponsorship's Full-Service plan, they ran 15+ product campaigns and activated over 200 athletes, spanning college to pro, who wore and recommended Jabra products during workouts, practice sessions, and everyday life. The campaign averaged an 11% engagement rate across all athlete posts, and Jabra's head of PR called OpenSponsorship the only platform approved for their athlete partnerships. The results even drove direct purchase behavior, with followers publicly crediting athlete recommendations for their buying decisions.](https://learnmore.opensponsorship.com/jabra-case-study) ## User Generated Content  #### [Boxbollen Boxbollen, a boxing ball training product, needed a single influencer who could make the product look like the must-have holiday gift for fitness lovers. Through OpenSponsorship, they partnered with Chantel Jeffries, selected specifically for her young, fitness-focused audience and minimum 2 million followers — who posted a 30-second Instagram Reel showing the product in action with full creative control. The result was 650,000 views and a 13% engagement rate, proving that one perfectly matched influencer can outperform entire multi-creator campaigns.](https://learnmore.opensponsorship.com/boxbollen-case-study) #### [Kestrel Golf Kestrel Golf makes patented performance tees engineered to last longer and improve drives, but they needed content that could actually demonstrate that difference to consumers. They partnered with two prominent female golfers through OpenSponsorship, Averee Dovsek and Morgan Pankow, who created side-by-side comparison reels showing Kestrel tees outperforming regular ones on course. The campaign tapped into the rapidly growing women's golf audience while also reaching the athletes' predominantly male followings, generating 62,000 total views and making a strong case for the product through authentic performance content.](https://learnmore.opensponsorship.com/kestrel-golf-case-study) #### [Blitz Innovations Blitz Innovations sells outdoor and home products on Amazon and needed a creator who could bring everyday lifestyle products to life for a wide audience. They partnered with entertainer and lifestyle creator Taylor Red through OpenSponsorship, who used their 300,000+ Instagram followers to showcase the Clever Garden Birdhouse and a portable Gazebo in a natural home setting. The campaign hit 45,000 views and a 12% engagement rate, a strong result that demonstrates how the right lifestyle creator can turn everyday products into shareable, scroll-stopping content.](https://learnmore.opensponsorship.com/blitz-innovations-case-study) #### [Alchemy Bikes Alchemy Bikes makes premium, hand-crafted bikes and wanted high-quality content from an athlete who genuinely loved riding, not just someone going through the motions. They gifted a bike to extreme sports athlete Nate Miceli through OpenSponsorship, who already had an authentic connection to the brand and a dedicated following of outdoor sports enthusiasts in Colorado, California, and Utah. Nate delivered a multi-clip action reel and four professionally styled photos that hit 12,000 video views, a 22% engagement rate, and gave Alchemy a library of reusable content assets for their own channels.](https://learnmore.opensponsorship.com/alchemy-bikes-case-study) #### [Travelodge Canada Travelodge Canada wanted to connect with outdoor adventure lovers across Canada and needed athletes who could make their properties feel like the perfect basecamp for exploring the country's national parks. Through OpenSponsorship, they partnered with six Canadian Olympic athletes who stayed at Travelodge locations and created Instagram Reels capturing the surrounding natural scenery, their experience at the hotel, and a genuine reason for fans to visit. The campaign achieved a standout 29% engagement rate, a direct result of matching the brand with athletes whose audiences were already passionate about the great outdoors.](https://learnmore.opensponsorship.com/travelodge-canada-case-study) #### [SteadyMD SteadyMD, an online telehealth platform connecting patients with doctors, needed to grow their digital presence in a crowded healthcare market without relying solely on paid ads. Through OpenSponsorship, they partnered with seven athletes averaging 430,000 followers each,  spanning multiple sports to reach diverse demographics, who shared personal stories about their own healthcare frustrations to make the campaign as relatable as possible. The results were significant: 50,000+ likes, a 31% increase in social engagement, a 24% increase in website traffic, and a cost per engagement of just $0.18.](https://learnmore.opensponsorship.com/steadymd-case-study) #### [FitXR FitXR makes VR fitness games and needed a partner who could make virtual reality workouts feel legitimate to a combat sports and fitness audience. Through OpenSponsorship, they paired with WWE wrestler Dean Mojo Muhtadi, 375,000+ Instagram followers of combat sports and fitness fans, who created a Rocky-themed reel showing FitXR's boxing exercises while promoting an Oculus giveaway to drive new followers. The campaign delivered 19,000 video views, 150+ giveaway entries, and a cost per view of just $0.26, showing how a well-matched athlete-brand pairing can make even a niche tech product feel exciting and accessible.](https://learnmore.opensponsorship.com/fitxr-case-study) #### [Easton Easton, the iconic baseball and softball equipment brand, wanted to turn their Black Friday sitewide sale into a social media moment that would drive college sports fans directly to their website. Through OpenSponsorship, they partnered with multiple collegiate baseball and softball athletes, each chosen for their high engagement rates and deep connection to the sport, who received branded care packages including a bat, gear, and glove, then created authentic content promoting the sale to their dedicated fan bases. The campaign generated 57,000 video views and a 20% engagement rate, proving that sports-specific influencers can be highly effective drivers of time-sensitive e-commerce sales.](https://learnmore.opensponsorship.com/easton-case-study) #### [Texas Roadhouse Texas Roadhouse wanted to build awareness of their Butcher Box product with a campaign that felt like a backyard cookout, not an advertisement, and they wanted content they could reuse across their own social channels. Through OpenSponsorship, they partnered with a roster of athletes with a combined 650,000+ followers and a deliberate 50/50 male-female audience split, who each filmed a three-part unboxing, cooking, and tasting video just in time for Labor Day Weekend. The campaign drove 53,000 video views and a 9% engagement rate, and gave Texas Roadhouse a bank of organic-feeling content that extended the campaign's life well beyond the original posts.](https://learnmore.opensponsorship.com/texas-roadhouse-case-study) ## The Only Sports Marketing Newsletter You'll Need Big dates, the best campaigns, and advice from experts. Once a month, all in one place.    ## Featured in: [![bloomberg Opensponsorship](https://opensponsorship.com/hs-fs/hubfs/bloomberg%20Opensponsorship.png?width=250&height=150&name=bloomberg%20Opensponsorship.png "bloomberg Opensponsorship")](https://www.bloomberg.com/news/videos/2022-05-06/opensponsorship-s-jolly-on-marketing-the-modern-athlete-video) [![Tech crunch opensponsorship](https://opensponsorship.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Tech%20crunch%20opensponsorship.png?width=150&height=90&name=Tech%20crunch%20opensponsorship.png "Tech crunch opensponsorship")](https://techcrunch.com/2016/01/27/500-startups-announces-batch-16-focused-on-health-tech-fintech-vices-and-recruiting/?guccounter=1&guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly9vcGVuc3BvbnNvcnNoaXAuY29tLw&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAADe8Y7pvRYwSkUu87n0zJSVonCTZ3GsOCqSMbebiR5ALSx_6EX-n7pCd00fL2wwCfM__F8a4nFsDoHK5Xzt0gajRzYWD780LZzp7iIh3NmMunRSkemG3DDqSyPX8TYg5HhnnTePzqhyFCHiLihKPJpvnnx_IK9u7ywKBRbIzyXIv) [![entrepreneur opensponsorship](https://opensponsorship.com/hs-fs/hubfs/entrepreneur%20opensponsorship.png?width=150&height=90&name=entrepreneur%20opensponsorship.png "entrepreneur opensponsorship")](https://www.entrepreneur.com/en-in/entrepreneurs/how-ishveen-anand-strives-to-make-a-difference-in-indian/250906) [![sports techie_opensponsorship](https://opensponsorship.com/hs-fs/hubfs/sports%20techie_opensponsorship.png?width=150&height=90&name=sports%20techie_opensponsorship.png "sports techie_opensponsorship")](https://www.sporttechie.com/new-york-city-startup-opensponsorship-opens-sports-sponsorship-world) [![cnbc opensponsorship](https://opensponsorship.com/hs-fs/hubfs/cnbc%20opensponsorship.png?width=250&height=150&name=cnbc%20opensponsorship.png "cnbc opensponsorship")](https://www.cnbc.com/2022/04/21/chelsea-takeover-lewis-hamilton-and-serena-williams-broughton-consortium.html) [![forbes_opensponsorship](https://opensponsorship.com/hs-fs/hubfs/forbes_opensponsorship.png?width=100&height=60&name=forbes_opensponsorship.png "forbes_opensponsorship")](https://www.forbes.com/sites/jasonbelzer/2016/05/09/six-startups-primed-to-disrupt-the-sports-industry-thanks-to-500-accelerator/?sh=723606e8372a) --- [![OpenSponsorship_logo](https://opensponsorship.com/hs-fs/hubfs/OpenSponsorship_logo_whiteout.png?width=892&height=150&name=OpenSponsorship_logo_whiteout.png "OpenSponsorship_logo")](https://opensponsorship.com?hsLang=en) Where Brands and Athletes Connect. #### Pages - [Home](https://opensponsorship.com/) - [About](https://opensponsorship.com/about) - [Blog](https://blog.opensponsorship.com/) - [Pricing](https://opensponsorship.com/pricing/brand) --- [Follow us on Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/opensponsorship/) [Follow us on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/company/open-sponsorship/) [Follow us on Twitter](https://www.instagram.com/opensponsorship/)