Subway – the title sponsor of the Women’s League Cup football tournament – is marking the Cup Final on Sunday 15 March with a fan experience that echoes the competitive spirit of the pitch… in sandwich form.
As Subway’s dedicated experience agency, Circle, who also delivered the brand’s 2025 partnership amplification, devised this year’s activation to last longer, have more engagement mechanisms and distribute even more sampling.
Taking place at Ashton Gate Stadium in Bristol, the 40m x 6m fan zone will be transformed into a Subway branded haven of activity featuring all-female foosball tables, photo opportunities, face painting and kick-to-win games, with prizes comprising branded socks, key rings, sports bags and signed footballs. The zone also features a competition that pits two Subway recipes against each other, each one created by the Women’s League Cup Final teams themselves.
The Red Sub features rotisserie chicken with pepperoni, lettuce, cucumber, tomato and chipotle sauce. The Blue Sub includes meatballs, pepperoni, peppers, jalapenos, garlic and herbs. Fans can vote for their favourite sandwich through a digital interface that connects to a real-time leaderboard. They will also be encouraged to photograph their preferred Sub build so it can be ordered during their next visit to a Subway restaurant.
As always, sustainability was a key consideration, with most assets being repurposed from previous activations and new assets being recyclable or reusable where possible. In place of vinyl floor graphics, a local graffiti artist will mark out game areas and floor branding in eco-friendly chalk paint. In addition, all unused food will be donated to local foodbanks.
Subway’s partnership with the Women’s League is part of its ‘Fresh Moves’ campaign, a long-term commitment to promote physical activity and support up-and-coming sports. As part of this initiative, Circle is also working on several Subway experiences that amplify the brand’s other sports partnerships. In February, students in Sheffield received a three-day activation featuring competitions like the Footlong Leap. In late March, Loughborough University will play host to a sampling campaign that includes games and free merchandise. In April, Subway will be supporting the opening of a skatepark in Derby with another activation devised by Circle.
Subway’s Senior Marketing Manager (Media, Sporting Partnerships and Loyalty), Matt Flint, said: “After seeing how popular our fan zone was at last year’s final, we wanted to activate both in and outside the stadium, while also opening-up for a longer period before kick-off. Circle has helped us capitalise on this opportunity for deeper engagement with a fan zone experience that will drive fans into restaurants after the event.”
Circle’s Subway Account Lead, Ella Bell, added: “This year’s activation needed to authentically connect with football culture while driving fan engagement and new acquisitions for Subway Rewards®. We delivered this through football-themed engagement mechanics and a team-inspired sampling menu from the finalists, designed to spark competition and ultimately encourage fans to visit Subway restaurants after the event.”
