A summer 2022 campaign from World Lacrosse, the international governing body of lacrosse, promoted the sport by simultaneously honouring its Native American heritage and celebrating its modern appeal to drive support for the sport’s inclusion in the LA 2028 Olympic Games.
Lacrosse, which last featured as an Olympic demonstration sport 74 years ago, is currently one of nine sports to be shortlisted to present a case for inclusion in LA28 and this campaign supports the governing body’s pitch by positioning it as being modern, progressive and accessible.
The integrated campaign, called ‘LAX: Indigenous Made, Globally Played’, was spearheaded by a hero spot and spanned digital and social content, logo and associated iconography. It rolled out from 9 August and was linked via the #LAX28 hashtag.
Proud to be , .
Join the movement and share using #LAX28. pic.twitter.com/dtvnsRAj9I
— World Lacrosse (@WorldLacrosse) August 9, 2022
Created with Border Boys Media, the campaign was also backed by PR support from POV Agency.
“We are aiming to highlight the sport’s unique Native American roots, diverse international growth, modern appeal, and broad, united support—all with the hopes of reinforcing our Olympic vision and drive for inclusion in LA28,” explained World Lacrosse CEO Jim Scherr.
“Our current efforts are focused on utilizing this campaign to advance the sport and uplift its heritage,” added Scherr. “We will continue gathering the support of athlete influencers and celebrity ambassadors, while also showcasing the campaign creative during TV broadcasts and across digital channels.”
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World Lacrosse (WL), formerly the Federation of International Lacrosse, is the international governing body of lacrosse responsible for the men’s, women’s and indoor versions of the sport. It was established in 2008 by the merger of the previously separate men’s and women’s international lacrosse associations and is headquartered in Colorado Springs, USA.
The organisation boasts 77 member countries and is the only international sports organisation to recognize First Nations bands and Native American tribes as sovereign nations. It was given provisional recognition status by the International Olympic Committee in November 2018.
With roots reaching back around a thousand years to indigenous people from the American South to the Great Lakes region and Canada, early forms of the game featured wooden or deerskin balls with wooden sticks and nets made from roots or animal sinew and games were played for multiple reasons including praising the creator, linking groups and settling tribal disputes
The sport’s modern incarnation is growing in global popularity and in the USA is played by more than 2m people annually (and has ranked as the fastest-growing NCAA sport for two decades). The governing body also recently penned a global broadcast deals with ESPN through to 2023 which includes 246 international events across 170 territories via ESPN and ESPN+.
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