Wayfair is significantly boosting its advertising expenditure on networks broadcasting football games, increasing it fivefold to promote its new brand initiative, “Wayfair Delivers.” This move, aimed at enhancing the retailer’s visibility in the sports arena, coincides with a growth in orders placed during the second quarter, largely propelled by mobile device shoppers.
Wayfair’s New Brand Platform
In a strategic move, Wayfair has joined forces with Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford to launch its “Wayfair Delivers” brand platform. The initiative began with a 30-second commercial featuring Stafford, his wife, Kelly, and their four daughters, using Wayfair to revamp their home space. This commercial was created internally with Paramount Media Labs’ assistance and made its premiere during “Monday Night Football” on ABC and ESPN.
The advertising campaign not only emphasises Stafford’s football achievements but also humorously highlights the busy and chaotic aspects of his family life. The narrative showcases the family utilising Wayfair for more practical furniture solutions amidst a household filled with airborne pillows and scattered toys.
Expanding Sports Advertising
The “Wayfair Delivers” campaign is a part of Wayfair’s broader, long-term focus on providing value and reliable service to customers. The company sees sports as an effective platform for advertising, given its wide reach, with nearly 50% of the U.S. population being live sports viewers, as reported by Emarketer.
In addition to the ad campaign, Wayfair has implemented several strategies to highlight its value-driven offerings, such as the Wayfair Verified collection, which features curated, quality-assured products, and the Wayfair Rewards loyalty programme. The advertising initiative spans across various media, including linear and connected TV, as well as social media, with the Stafford ad airing on major networks like ABC, ESPN, CBS, and NBC.
Investment in Football-Related Promotions
This intensified focus on sports includes sponsoring and adding decorative elements to the set of CBS Sports’ Sunday morning football pregame show. Furthermore, Wayfair is set to sponsor the B/R NFL Draft Live in April 2027 through a collaboration with Bleacher Report.
Despite the sluggish performance in the broader furniture market, Wayfair has observed promising trends. The company reported a 7.5% increase in revenue for the second quarter compared to the same period last year. Orders experienced a 6% boost, reaching 10.6 million, with 64.1% of these orders being placed via mobile devices, up from 62.9% the previous year.
In its efforts to enhance the shopping experience, Wayfair has embarked on initiatives like partnering with Google to integrate artificial intelligence into its discovery processes, and it continues to work on expanding its physical retail presence.
Reporting based on coverage first published by retaildive.com.