The AVP logo with a stylized figure of a volleyball player jumping to hit a ball.

Association of Volleyball Professionals

America’s pro beach volleyball league celebrates a 40-year history, with women athletes leading the way.

CASE STUDY  /  AVP

For their prestigious 40th Anniversary season, we served as agency-of-record for the Association of Volleyball Professionals (AVP), repositioning the brand and marketing strategies and managing marketing across all channels.

Our insight was to pivot the brand to be both aspirational and scalable; to overcome the stagnation of a 40-year-old history and a die-hard but reluctant and relatively small fan base.

The way forward was clear: define the AVP’s place at the leading edge of women-first professional sports to new fans. To put new eyes on screens and many more people in seats at every tournament.

is + at served as brand advisors, stewards and strategists, as well as advisors to the CEO in a fractional C-suite role. To evolve the brand required not only a clear, executable strategy, but to get operations, athletes, and media in lockstep with understanding, messaging, and process.

Brand Services

Strategic Advisory

Brand Management

Marketing Strategy

Merchandise Design  

Marketing Services

Advertising

Social Media

Live Event Production

Brand + Sponsor Activations

PR + Media Liaison

Media Talent Management

A woman playing beach volleyball, reaching up to hit a colorful Wilson volleyball against a beach background with a blue sky, and a close-up of a Wilson volleyball with pink, yellow, and blue patterns on a blue background.
A beach volleyball game in progress with two male players jumping near the net, one hitting the ball while the other tries to block, with a large AVP 40 logo in the background. 
Campaign branding and style GUIDE
A promotional image for the AVP 40th Anniversary Visual Identity Guidelines featuring the AVP logo, a colorful Wilson AVP game ball, and a hand holding the ball against a black background.
A graphic displaying the AVP 40th Anniversary color palette, including primary, secondary, and gradient colors, with color codes and descriptions for branding guidelines.
A colorful gradient background with the word 'LOGO' in bold white letters on the left and 'AVP' logo with a running figure on the top right corner, and the text 'AVP 40th ANNIVERSARY VISUAL IDENTITY GUIDELINES' at the bottom.
A chart showcasing typography styles. It includes font names like Gotham X Narrow, Open Sans, Monserrat Black Uppercase, Retro Solid, and Dimenson. It displays various font styles such as ultra, semi-bold, italics, regular, and uppercase, with sample text for each style. The chart also features size variations from 40 to 60, and a download button for fonts.
Comparison of four logo variations for AVP 40th anniversary visual identity guidelines, including primary, gold series on white and black backgrounds, with contrasting color schemes and styles.
Style guide for AVP 40th anniversary logo design, including monochrome, line weight variations, and colored icon options with gradient backgrounds.
Instagram story collages promoting volleyball and beach events, featuring athletes, tickets, polls, and quotes. 
SOCIAL MEDIA CAMPAIGNs
A laptop screen displaying a website for AVP featuring a group of athletes running, with a cosmic background and the years 1983 and 2023. There are two buttons labeled '2023 Schedule' and 'Where to Watch'. 
WEBSITE
MERCHANDISE
A group of five young adults, four women and one man, standing and sitting on a concrete barrier at the beach. The man is on a skateboard, and the women are wearing casual beach clothing, with some wearing AVP shirts. Volleyball nets are visible in the background, with the ocean and blue sky behind them.
A woman is shopping for athletic tank tops at an outdoor market stall. She is touching a white tank top with 'AVP' and a running figure logo on it. The woman has a baseball cap, a black jacket, and a colorful wristband. Other black and white tank tops are hanging on the rack.
Two women walking outdoors on a sunny day, smiling, wearing black athletic shirts with 'AVP' logos, with a boardwalk and beachside houses in the background.
A graphic with a purple and pink gradient background featuring a silhouette of a volleyball player jumping with a ball, and text stating "Since 1984, the AVP has hosted the Manhattan Beach Open 34 times" and the hashtag #AVP40.
Announcement graphic about beach volleyball debut at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, featuring illustrations of a volleyball and a player spiking the ball, with the text in bold black letters and a pastel gradient background.
Beach volleyball match with players jumping for the ball, spectators in the stands, officials and coaches around, set on a beach with sand, against a background of a glass-fronted building and grandstand seating. 
COLLECTABLE DIGITAL Card packs

40th Anniversary

Celebrating the past, present, and future of the sport created opportunities to connect the generations around a brand with a storied (though sometimes difficult) history.

Firsts-to-do-it stories, historic footage, and fan engagements to engage debate and bring notoriety to the GOATs connected the greatness of the AVP’s past with the excitement of today’s pro sports environment.

A man with sunglasses kneeling on sand, holding a microphone, being interviewed on a beach volleyball court. A cameraman films him, with a crowd of spectators in the background holding yellow and blue inflatable cheering sticks.
AVP 40th anniversary Legends Pack featuring top American beach volleyball athletes, including Kerri Walsh Jennings, Misty May-Treanor, April Ross, Jackie Silva, Holly McPeak, Karch Kiraly, Kent Steffes, Randy Stoklos, Sinjin Smith, Mike Dodd, and others, showcasing their wins and career highlights.
A woman in a black bikini and sunglasses standing on the back of a yellow Nissan pickup truck, with arms raised, at a crowded outdoor event with many spectators holding yellow inflatable sticks.
Four items related to the Manhattan Beach open volleyball tournament. The top left is a special card with a black background for the AVP 40th anniversary, featuring the Manhattan Beach logo and a gold series emblem. The top right is an event poster for the Manhattan Beach open, showing an aerial view of the beach and event details including 35 times in Manhattan Beach. The bottom left is a poster for the Atlanta open, with a city skyline and 11 times in Atlanta. The bottom right is a poster for the Chicago open, depicting the Chicago skyline and 33 times in Chicago.

Women Lead the Way

Multitudes of new AVP fans were waiting to be discovered – the majority of them members of a coveted demographic: young women searching for a sport that is for them, first.

is + at positioned the AVP to lead marketing and communications with its women athletes. The website, televised matches, and merchandise showcased women athletes as its biggest and brightest stars.

In a co-gender sport, leading with the accomplishments of the historically dominant woman promised to be a game changer. We found alignment with partners and sponsors who were eager to back the growth of women’s sports as part of their brand stories as well. The AVP leaned in, with women leading the way on and off the beach.

A female athlete celebrating on a sandy beach during a beach volleyball match, wearing sunglasses, a black sports bra with blue text, lavender bikini bottoms, and a cap.
Two women playing beach volleyball on a beach near residential buildings, with spectators in the background, one woman preparing to hit the volleyball.
Two female beach volleyball players in mid-air at the net, with one attempting to spike and the other blocking, during a match on a sandy court, with a large crowd of spectators in the background.
A group of six young female beach volleyball players with their coach, all wearing medals, standing on sand court with a volleyball net behind them and a yellow volleyball in the background.
A female beach volleyball player in a yellow and black swimsuit, black Wilson visor, and sunglasses bending forward on the sand with arms extended, eyeing the volleyball game.
Beach volleyball player in a colorful patterned long sleeve top and sunglasses reaching up to block a yellow and black volleyball at a beach volleyball net during a match with a crowd in the background.
Female beach volleyball player diving on sand in a match, with spectators and tents in the background.

Multi-Channel Marketing

The AVP had been on social media autopilot for several years, relying on a deluge of largely redundant content to grow social followers. While this was once a proxy for conversion during the younger days of social media marketing, an updated approach was needed. The brand was giving away a lot of its valuable content while not driving KPIs that prove actual fandom: Broadcast viewership, ticket sales, and more valuable sponsorships. 

Focusing on measurement and validation from full stands, strong broadcast, OTT, and streaming, and notable sponsor integrations allowed the AVP to grow positive sentiment as the league to watch, particularly for young women searching for an alternative to the pro men’s sport status quo.

ATLANTA
Two vertical banners hanging on a lamppost advertising Atlantic City beach volleyball event, August 4-6 at Atlantic Station, featuring images of a woman in a red sports bikini hitting a volleyball and a man in a black shirt and shorts diving for the volleyball, with city buildings in the background.
Promotional graphic for the AVP Atlanta Open on the Gold Series for pro beach volleyball, featuring a volleyball and spectators in the background.
Promotional poster for the AVP Atlanta Open pro beach volleyball tournament, taking place at Atlantic Station from August 4 to 6, featuring a female volleyball player holding a Wilson AVP volleyball, with city skyline background, QR code, and ticket information.
A woman and a male news reporter at a beach event, with the woman smiling and the reporter holding a microphone with the KTLA 5 logo, during a live news segment about the AVP Pro Series returning to Hermosa Beach.
Two men playing beach volleyball at Hermosa Beach, one hitting the ball over the net while the other prepares to block. 
MANHATTAN BEACH
A large beach event with a stage, tents, and numerous attendees near the ocean, with a pier extending into the water in the background and a parking lot nearby.
Advertisement banner for AVP Manhattan Beach Gold Series, August 18-20, at Manhattan Beach Pier with a 'Get Tickets!' button.
Artwork promoting the AVP Manhattan Beach Open beach volleyball tournament at Manhattan Beach Pier, taking place August 18-20, with a call to action to get tickets.
A promotional poster for a tennis event at Manhattan Beach Pier from August 18th to 20th. It features a woman preparing to hit a tennis ball with a yellow headline that says 'The Granddaddy of them all returns.' The background is blue with details about ticketing and the event date.
Promotional flyer for the AVP Chicago Gold Series beach volleyball event, September 1-3 at Oak Street Beach, featuring a man in colorful swim trunks jumping to hit a beach volleyball, with a city skyline backdrop.
People sitting and socializing on red outdoor chairs on a grassy area in an urban setting, with tall buildings and advertisements, including a large billboard for an upcoming volleyball event in Atlanta.
Beach volleyball game with two players at the net, one spiking the ball while the other blocks, crowd in background, promotional overlay for AVP Atlanta Open Gold Series, August 4-6 at Atlantic Station, advertising weekend packages by Bally's. 
HERMOSA
Beach volleyball players celebrating on sand court with crowd and arch in background, article headline about Trevor Crabb and Theo Brunner winning AVP Hermosa Beach men's title.
Poster for the AVP Manhattan Beach Open volleyball tournament, August 18-20 at Manhattan Beach Pier, featuring a shirtless man and a woman in red sportswear playing volleyball, with a beach and ocean background.
Event banner advertising 'Open' on August 18-20 at Manhattan Beach Pier, with a golden animal logo, and a call to action to get tickets.
Promotional poster for the AVP Atlanta Open beach volleyball event, featuring a female volleyball player holding a yellow and black volleyball, with a city skyline at sunset in the background. Includes event details, dates August 4-6, and sponsors ESPN, TSN, and Bally Live.
An outdoor advertisement board in an urban area promoting the AVP Atlanta Pro Beach Volleyball tournament happening from August 4 to 6 at Atlantic Station. The ad features a female volleyball player holding a volleyball, with a background of her teammates. The event ticket information is also visible.
A promotional image for a volleyball event at Manhattan Beach Pier from August 18 to 20. The background features a crowded beach with tents, flags, and volleyball courts by the ocean. Text overlays advertise ticket sales, saying "Get Tickets Now!" with event details and logos.
A promotional poster for the AVP Manhattan Beach Volleyball Championships, taking place August 18-20 at Manhattan Beach Pier. The poster features a beach scene with a crowd, tents, and the ocean in the background. Text details include the championships on August 20, from 4:00 to 6:00 pm ET, live on ESPN2, with a gold series logo and large yellow 'LIVE' text.
2023 Chicago Open 
CHICAGO
Chicago Email and Website
A promotional poster for the AVP Chicago Gold Series volleyball event at Oak Street Beach from September 1st to 3rd, 2023. The poster features a volleyball player in action and contains text about event details and discounts.
Vertical digital event poster for 'Open Chicago' basketball event. Features a yellow basketball hoop and a player silhouette in gold, with event details indicating September 1-3 at Oak Street Beach, presented by Microsoft and GWM. Includes a call-to-action 'Get Tickets!'. Background in maroon and pink gradient.
Poster for the AVP Chicago Open at Oak Street Beach, September 1-3, with a call to action to get tickets.

AVP 2023 Marketing by the Numbers

Our work saw unprecedented organic, bot-free growth, greatly improved fan sentiment, increased attendance, and on/off-court activations that drove meaningful value for partner brands and the AVP.

Social Media

  • 72+ million impressions

  • 1.15 million followers across Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and X

  • 5.3 million engagements

  • 8.3% overall engagement

  • 45,000 organic net follower gain

Email Marketing

  • 5.3 million engagements

  • 236,000 active, engaged subscribers

  • 44% open rate (industry average 24%)

  • 8.3% overall engagement

  • 45,000 organic net follower gain

Broadcast/OTT

  • 1.9 million viewers across 2023 Gold Series on ESPN2 linear, ESPN-U linear, ESPN+ streaming

In-Stadium Attendance

>100% General Admission capacity reached during Pro and Gold Series Sunday Finals at:

  • Miami Beach Open

  • Huntington Beach Open

  • Hermosa Beach Open

  • Manhattan Beach Open

  • Chicago Open

WRAP-UP

The AVP’s parent company, the Bally Corporation, welcomed third-party private equity as a managing partner near the end of the 2023 season. While fan, brand, and athlete sentiment was outstanding, the season successful, and significant gains were made, new managment was set on making major changes to their strategic approach.

Everybody watches women’s sports.
2023 was a watershed year; the professional sports world continues to revel in the ascendence of women’s sports. From Caitlin Clark’s Nike deal and the WNBA’s record-breaking season, to the force that are the women of Olympic Teams USA, Women Lead the Way isn’t just a winning strategy – it is an inevitable evolution in pro sports. is + at are proud to take part and thankful of each of our partners and unwavering believers.

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