The campaign is now live across television, digital, social and out-of-home, along with shorter, team-specific versions rolled out in all eight markets, and has quickly become part of the visual fabric of the season.
At its core, Play It Big is about relationships. Between players and fans. Between teams and cities. Between past competitive momentum and future growth. Rather than presenting the PWHL as something to be watched from a distance, the campaign invites viewers to see the league through the eyes of the people who love it most.
Take off the helmet
Filmed earlier this fall in Toronto, the campaign brought together more than 40 players from all eight PWHL teams for the league’s annual big shoot.
The imagery is bold and lively. Players appear larger than life, framed by a modern remix of classic sports iconography; from poster-style portraits to digital ‘player cards’, inspired by the way famous athletes once lived on bedroom walls. It’s a nod to heritage, reimagined for a generation that consumes sports through social feeds, highlighting clips and memes.
The goal, as league officials described it, was to make players feel more comfortable — not just elite athletes, but full personalities. World-class competitors that also exist within fan culture, fashion, humor and everyday moments.
Joy as a competitive advantage
One creative idea guided the entire campaign: joy is a competitive advantage.
That joy is evident everywhere: in quick cuts of game action, crowd shots straight from fan-submitted footage, and in small moments, entrenched supporters recognize it immediately. A young fan hanging a poster of Marie-Philip Poulin in her room. A hand-knit sweater made by a fan and later worn by Poulin himself. “Chipping” between players. IYKYK nicknames like “Black Cat” and “Golden Retriever” (hint: think of the two-time defending champion.)
Play It Big treats PWHL fan culture not as decoration, but as a central character, reinforcing that the league is built through shared passion, not one-way narratives.
Players at the center
For the players in the campaign, Play It Big represents not only a shift in tone, but also in opportunity. New York Sirens forward Sarah Fillierthe league’s reigning Rookie of the Year, was one of the players who featured prominently in the campaign. Reflecting on the experience, Fillier told thepwhl.com:
Fillier’s presence as a rising star on the ice and as the face of the league’s storytelling underscores one of the campaign’s central messages: PWHL players are not only elite athletes, but cultural drivers whose voices and identities matter.
Big, together
Like the season continuesPlay It Big lives on through the team-specific expansions, each tailored to local markets yet connected to the league’s vision. Whether it’s an out-of-home takeover in the New York area, a Goldeneyes banner in Vancouver, or social-first edits straight from the stands, the campaign is designed to move with the season and never miss a beat.
This story leaves you with the same outro as the campaign, which hits just as hard when you read it as when you hear it:
This is the game that asks us to be more, not less,
More united.
More fearless, more… us,
And more powerful than ever.
This is the PWHL
Play it big.
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