According to the 2014 State of the Competitive & Fitness Swimming Industry Report by Sports Marketing Surveys, nearly 80 percent of parents overlook swimming when choosing organized sports activities for their children after they learn to swim. Most notably, parents whose children had never tried swimming perceived it to be less fun than other sports. However, parents of swimmers rated the sport at the top in fun, teamwork, confidence-building and health and fitness, once they gave it a try.
The campaign is endorsed and supported by 10 leading swimming industry partners, including membership organizations, coaches associations, swimsuit and equipment manufacturers, swimming media and technology partners. The “Funnest Sport” campaign will also address common misconceptions about the sport, encouraging more parents to consider swimming as a youth sport option for their children.
To address the common misconceptions and bridge the perception gap, SwimToday includes a creative advertising campaign by Minneapolis ad agency Colle+McVoy highlighting the fun aspects of swimming and, with playful imagery and taglines, conveys the benefits of swimming compared to other sports. The campaign also features public service announcements that will run nationally on television and online beginning May 6, as well as a new website that provides online resources for parents.
You can show your support for the campaign on social media by tweeting @SwimToday and using the hashtag #FunnestSport.
