In the wake of Wrexham FC’s historical 3rd consecutive promotion, catapulting them to the Championship, we are celebrating the promoting genius that has reworked this once-struggling Welsh membership into an international powerhouse.
Since Hollywood stars Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney took possession in 2021, Wrexham hasn’t simply climbed the soccer pyramid – they have revolutionized sports activities advertising and marketing with creativity, humor, and strategic partnerships that keep true to the membership’s working-class roots.
As Simon Oliveira, managing director of KIN Partners, famous again in 2020: “Studying Reynolds’ approach to marketing you start to understand why, in many ways, Wrexham is the perfect vessel for his latest project… it’s the type of authenticity that connects Reynolds to his audiences, whether on silver screen, in gin ads or when pitching his merits as a club owner.”
That advertising and marketing genius has now helped Wrexham reach what no different membership has completed prior to – securing 3 consecutive promotions and attaining the Championship. Here are seven standout advertising and marketing moments that show off how Reynolds, McElhenney, and their group have constructed one in every of soccer’s maximum exceptional emblem tales.
1. The “Welcome to Wrexham” documentary collection
The cornerstone of Wrexham’s international business plan has been the significantly acclaimed “Welcome to Wrexham” documentary collection on FX/Disney+. Unlike standard sports activities documentaries, this collection brilliantly balances the possession adventure with heartfelt tales of avid gamers, enthusiasts, and the city itself.
The documentary wasn’t simply compelling tv – it used to be a advertising and marketing masterstroke that generated roughly $3.2 million in earnings for the membership whilst introducing Wrexham to hundreds of thousands of possible enthusiasts international. The collection grew to become the membership’s underdog tale into must-watch leisure, with its mix of humor, emotion, and original storytelling.
Season 4 is about to premiere on May 15, 2025, completely timed to capitalize at the membership’s historical 3rd consecutive promotion. What started as a documentation of an formidable dream has now turn out to be a chronicle of soccer historical past within the making.
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2. The Hollywood signal mountain stunt

In August 2021, citizens of Wrexham woke to discover a large Hollywood-style “WREXHAM” signal erected at the Rhostyllen coal slag heap overlooking the city. The mysterious set up in an instant sparked hypothesis and media protection throughout the United Kingdom.
While to start with denied via Reynolds, McElhenney, and the membership, it used to be later printed to be a advertising and marketing stunt via Vanarama, the National League’s identify sponsor. The corporate defined they sought after to “breathe new life into the upcoming season and celebrate having fans back on the terraces” whilst shining “the bright lights of Hollywood on the lower echelons of the fifth tier of English football.”
The brilliantly carried out guerrilla advertising and marketing marketing campaign generated large social media buzz and press protection, completely taking part in into the Hollywood possession narrative whilst making a memorable visible image that strengthened Wrexham’s newfound international ambitions.
3. The TikTookay blouse sponsorship deal

In June 2021, Wrexham introduced TikTookay as their new front-of-shirt sponsor in a “first-of-its-kind” partnership that noticed the social media large’s brand emblazoned around the group’s kits. The deal coincided with the release of Wrexham’s legitimate TikTookay channel, with each Reynolds and McElhenney making their private TikTookay debuts to announce the partnership.
Nick Tran, then Global Head of Marketing at TikTookay, defined the very best synergy: “TikTok is uniquely positioned at the centre of entertainment, technology and the creator community to help bring Wrexham AFC’s story to life to global audiences.”
The partnership propelled Wrexham’s social media presence to strange heights. By April 2023, TikTookay had turn out to be the membership’s maximum adopted platform, accounting for 43.4% in their general fans. The membership’s social media enlargement has been extraordinary, with engagement charges exceeding the ones of maximum Premier League golf equipment. In only one week following their 2023 promotion, Wrexham received over 538,000 new fans throughout platforms.
4. The “Wrexham United” social media stunt

In a brilliantly carried out social media marketing campaign in 2023, Reynolds and McElhenney teased enthusiasts with cryptic posts suggesting they had been converting the membership’s identify to “Wrexham United” – a press release that brought about instant uproar amongst traditionalists.
The stunt used to be briefly printed because the ingenious creation of United Airlines because the membership’s new front-of-shirt sponsor, changing TikTookay. The preliminary teaser tweet by myself generated 20 million perspectives on Reynolds’ private feed, whilst the divulge video notched up greater than 5.7 million perspectives simply 48 hours after posting.
Reynolds and McElhenney defined the partnership: “We seek out sponsors that match the spirit of both Wrexham Association Football Club and the people of Wrexham. We could think of no better sponsor for the next phase of our quest than United Airlines. The team, town and fans around the world are united as never before.”
The marketing campaign demonstrated the homeowners’ savvy figuring out of leverage their private platforms for max have an effect on, with the preliminary controversy using even higher engagement with the eventual sponsorship announcement.
5. Sir Anthony Hopkins as Wrex the Dragon (Super Bowl 2024)

Wrexham made their Super Bowl promoting debut in February 2024 with a super marketing campaign for stadium sponsor STōK Cold Brew Coffee that includes Oscar-winning actor Sir Anthony Hopkins. In the economic, created via Reynolds’ Maximum Effort manufacturing corporate, Hopkins reworked into Wrexham’s mascot, Wrex the Dragon.
The advert opened with Hopkins handing over a significant, theatrical monologue: “To act is to deceive. But to become this beast, well, that requires a little extra kick.” He then dons the dragon mascot head and runs round energizing enthusiasts, pointing out: “This is what they came to see!”
The marketing campaign brilliantly leveraged the Super Bowl’s large target market of roughly 140 million audience to spice up Wrexham’s profile within the American marketplace. For a membership that used to be within the 5th tier of English soccer only some years previous, securing Super Bowl advert area (the place 30-second spots value round $8 million) represented an strange advertising and marketing success.
6. Channing Tatum’s Magic Mike-inspired objective birthday celebration category (Super Bowl 2025)

Building on their Super Bowl luck, Wrexham returned to the massive sport in February 2025 with every other STōK Cold Brew Coffee advert, this time that includes Hollywood superstar Channing Tatum instructing Wrexham avid gamers enhance their objective celebrations with “Magic Mike”-inspired dance strikes.
The business confirmed Tatum getting into the Wrexham locker room to coach avid gamers together with Ollie Palmer, Paul Mullin, and Jacob Mendy in dance routines. In a funny twist, Tatum ultimately panics: “No, I promised Ryan and Rob I would keep it classy. Everyone put your clothes back on!”
The advert, which once more premiered throughout America’s most-watched carrying tournament, featured Reynolds in a temporary however memorable cameo. Reynolds and McElhenney quipped in a remark: “We’re so happy that three of the stars of Deadpool & Wolverine were able to work together again to bring this ad to life for our incredible Wrexham sponsor.”
This marked the second one consecutive yr Wrexham secured valuable Super Bowl promoting area, cementing their standing as main avid gamers within the American sports activities advertising and marketing panorama.
7. Aviation Gin partnership and restricted version bottles

Reynolds leveraged his possession stake in Aviation Gin to create every other leading edge partnership for Wrexham. In July 2021, the membership introduced that Aviation Gin will be the sleeve sponsor at the coaching put on of each males’s and girls’s senior groups.
The partnership integrated the discharge of limited-edition Aviation Gin bottles that includes Wrexham AFC group colours and crests. The marketing campaign brilliantly cross-promoted Reynolds’ industry pursuits whilst offering Wrexham with further earnings and international publicity.
What makes this partnership in particular noteworthy is the way it exemplifies the built-in means Reynolds and McElhenney have taken to Wrexham’s sponsorships – making a community of name partnerships that magnify each and every different whilst keeping up original connections to the membership’s id and values.
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Marketing a soccer fairy story
Wrexham AFC’s advertising and marketing luck demonstrates the strange possible when ingenious imaginative and prescient meets original neighborhood values. Reynolds and McElhenney have not simply carried out Hollywood advertising and marketing techniques to a soccer membership – they have reimagined what sports activities advertising and marketing will also be via telling compelling tales that resonate globally whilst staying true to native roots.
The effects discuss for themselves: 3 consecutive promotions, exceptional social media enlargement, profitable business partnerships, and an international fanbase that stretches a ways past North Wales. As Wrexham prepares for existence within the Championship, only one promotion clear of the Premier League, their advertising and marketing adventure proves that with the best narrative and inventive execution, even essentially the most not going carrying dream can seize the arena’s creativeness.