The Sportification of Culture
Sports have long mastered the art of symbolic participation, accomplishing what many modern systems have failed to do. They offer an impressive blueprint for connection, belonging and meaning-making in an increasingly fragmented world:
Built-in identity systems: You don’t just watch, you belong
Hero + underdog stories: Ordinary people elevated through effort, team, and magic moments
Tangible rituals + objects: A chant, jersey, trading card, face paint; complex emotions distilled into simple, shareable form
And it's inspiring new ways for people to express, engage, and belong. Three signals in particular caught our eye:
In Japan, trading cards featuring ordinary middle-aged men are unexpectedly popular
Pope Leo XIV’s trading cards sold out in record time
Ellie the Elephant, the NY Liberty mascot, is now a model for Essie nail polish
What do middle-aged Japanese men, a new pope, and an elephant in nail polish have in common? No, it’s not the setup for a weird joke. These signals give us insights into how the emotional logic of sports is showing up in new and interesting corners of culture.
What might a shift toward symbols, stories, and shared meaning look like for you?
What’s one tangible way someone could show they’re part of your world?
What would your trading card say about you, your work, your mission?
Who's your Ellie? The playful, values-driven symbol that holds your bigger story?
