In the constantly evolving landscape of modern football, few agencies have captured the spirit of change as precisely as Branthlete. Based in Amsterdam, the creative agency has positioned itself at the heart of women’s sport and is driven by a clear mission: to give women’s sports the stage they deserve.
The vision: redefining how we see women’s sport
Branthlete was founded by Frederique de Laat and Derk van Kleeff with a simple yet powerful belief. Despite women’s sport becoming increasingly popular, the way it is marketed and communicated has not kept pace with its cultural rise. Too often, women’s sport is treated as an extension of men’s competitions rather than its own universe with distinct audiences, emotions and values.
“At Hera United, I noticed how many organizations still use the same approach for men and women,” says founder Frederique de Laat. “But women’s sport attracts a different audience, with different values and cultural codes. That is exactly why we started Branthlete – to put the women’s sport fan at the center of everything.”
“But women’s sport attracts a different audience, with different values and cultural codes. That is exactly why we started Branthlete – to put the women’s sport fan at the center of everything.”
From that conviction, Branthlete has grown into a creative powerhouse exclusively dedicated to women’s sport. The agency combines strategy, insight and creativity to build stories that move fans and brands alike.
Inside Branthlete’s approach
Branthlete’s strength lies in its ability to merge strategic insight with authentic storytelling. Rather than treating campaigns as mere marketing exercises, the agency creates narratives that connect deeply with audiences and reflect the real culture of women’s sport.
Their work spans strategy and insights, branding, player communication and creative campaigns. Whether for a football club, a league, a sponsor or an individual athlete, the agency begins by asking a simple question: who are the fans, what drives them and how can a brand earn their loyalty?
The answer is almost always rooted in authenticity. “Women’s sport is not a trend,” explains co-founder Derk van Kleeff. “It is the future of sport. Eighty-four percent of sports fans say they are interested in women’s sport, but they rarely get to see it. Our job is to make sure they are seen and felt.”
“Women’s sport is not a trend. It is the future of sport.”
The Aston Villa Women project
One of Branthlete’s most recognized projects was its collaboration with Aston Villa Women in England’s Women’s Super League. Ahead of the new season, the agency was invited to help design the club’s fan and community engagement strategy.
Branthlete began by developing detailed fan personas, studying not only demographics but also motivations and barriers that influence attendance. They explored how supporters consume content and which local communities they engage with.
The result was a new model of engagement that not only increased visibility but also deepened the emotional connection between players and supporters. Aston Villa’s women’s side entered the new season with a stronger sense of identity and a fan base that felt closer to the team than ever before.
#TheNapoliFamily: giving Naples a new football voice
In Italy, Branthlete turned its attention to Napoli Women, launching the campaign #TheNapoliFamily to shine a light on the club’s unique culture. Naples is a city where football borders on religion, yet the women’s team had long lived in the shadow of the men’s success.
Branthlete sought to change that. Over eleven weeks, the campaign told the story of Napoli Women through the people who make the club what it is – the players, the fans, the families and the staff. The message was simple but powerful: pride, dedication and ambition define Napoli Women just as much as any Serie A team.
“With #TheNapoliFamily, Napoli Women and Branthlete are creating a new narrative for women’s sport in Italy,” says de Laat. “It is a tribute to the city, the club and a generation of women claiming their place at the highest level.”
The campaign became a defining cultural moment for women’s football in southern Italy, positioning Napoli Women not just as a team, but as a symbol of identity and belonging.
Our exclusive interview with Branthlete
Branthlete has quickly positioned itself at the center of women’s sport. What do you believe makes your agency’s approach stand out compared to traditional sports marketing firms?
We’ve built Branthlete around one clear belief: women’s sport deserves its own space, its own language, its own strategy, its own spotlight.
Most sports marketing agencies still treat women’s sport as a side project, or they approach it with the same lens they use for men. We do the opposite. We live and breathe this world every day, we know the players, the trends, the audience, and what’s needed to make the whole ecosystem stronger.
We’ve also become the thought leader in this space. We don’t just have the knowledge, we actively share it. Whether it’s through strategy sessions, talks or collaborations, we make sure the insights we gather help move the industry forward.
That’s why our work never just benefits the brand, it also helps grow the sport. We connect brands to stories that make a real difference, and I think that’s why we’ve grown so quickly. We’re not just selling visibility, we’re building relevance.
You often speak about the emotional connection between fans, players and brands. Can you share how this philosophy translates into your day-to-day creative work and what results it has brought?
Sport is emotion, but in women’s sport that emotion feels more personal. Fans don’t just admire female athletes for what they do on the pitch, they want to know who they are. Think about it — how much do we really know about Lionel Messi as a person, compared to how much we know about Serena Williams? With Serena, we know her story, her struggles, her values. That makes the connection so much deeper.
That’s the starting point for everything we do, connection. Every campaign begins with a question, what’s a real challenge in women’s sport, and how can we help solve it with a brand?
For example, we’re working with one of the biggest supermarket chains in the world on a project that creates more visible female role models in sport. It’s not about ticking a box, it’s about changing what people see when they think of “athlete”. We also create campaigns that inspire younger girls to dream bigger and stay in sport, and that feels incredible to do.
When you build from emotion and purpose, you create work that people actually remember, and that’s what moves both fans and brands.
Branthlete has already worked with clubs like Aston Villa Women and Napoli Women. What kind of partners or projects are you most excited to collaborate with next, and what values should those partners share?
We love working with brands that want to create change, and that choose to do it in women’s sport. The ones that see the opportunity to be pioneers instead of following the crowd.
Many of our current partners are active in sports but not yet in women’s sports, and that’s where we see the biggest potential. The only thing we ask from partners is that they’re in it for the long run. Women’s sport isn’t a quick campaign, it’s a movement that grows through consistency and care.
The brands that understand that, and that genuinely want to make an impact, will get so much more out of it.
Looking ahead, how do you see Branthlete shaping the future narrative of women’s sport in Europe and beyond – not just as a marketing agency, but as a movement for cultural change?
We want to help shape how people see women’s sport, not as the smaller version but as its own world full of talent, creativity and opportunity.
We want to keep fighting for equal rights in the sports industry. We want to inspire people through the work we create together with brands, and help move the sport forward by finding new solutions, like how to build female fandom in a way that truly connects.
There’s still so much space to build, experiment and reimagine things, and that’s what makes this work exciting. We want to create the change, together with the brands and organisations that have the power to do so.
If in a few years we can look back and see that we’ve helped more girls stay in sport, more fans connect with female athletes, and more brands show up in meaningful ways, then we’ve done our job.
