A summer of sports with Nancy Bailey

From the Lionesses bringing it home again in the Euros, to enjoying strawberries and cream at Wimbledon, it’s been a busy summer of sports across the nation. 

It’s been just as busy for our sports team and Very Media Group – we’ve been working hard on campaigns to launch new and exciting ranges for our brand partners across the sports category. Here are just a few of my favourite campaigns from our very own summer of sports.

Putting trainers through their paces 

It’s not every day we get to work with an Olympic icon – but that’s exactly what we’ve done this summer. Jessica Ennis-Hill joined Very on the track to put four pairs of adidas running trainers through their paces. 

From distance to speed and comfort to power, our latest adidas performance campaign puts running shoes to the test all under the expert eye (and stride) of Jessica Ennis-Hill, someone who is truly trained for greatness.

At its heart, this campaign is about helping our customers find their stride. Whether it’s chasing a personal best or simply running for peace of mind, the right shoes make all the difference. Our creative campaign focuses on proving that you don’t need to be an athlete to get going, just the right pair of trainers!

Arriving in style 

Following the F1 at Silverstone, the Puma Speedcat arrived at Very. 

With slick content, strong silhouettes, and a distinct fashion lens, we’ve elevated this moment beyond sport, tapping into culture and consumer trends to deliver a campaign about a product which we know will inspire our customers. 

We focused the campaign on celebrating everyday fashion moment. 

The creative minds at Very and HelloSudio launched a style guide and a bespoke campaign which paired edgy streetstyle with Puma Speedcats to help customers find ways to wear their new favourite trainer. 

Kicking off the football season

Adidas is once again the kit sponsor of Liverpool Football Club, Very’s home team! 

Blending football heritage with fashion-forward styling, our lookbook-led campaign repositions the new kit as a bold style statement – designed to turn heads from the stands to the street.

Adidas is a global powerhouse in sportswear, and this partnership underscores our commitment to delivering world-class products to our customers, helping them get more out of life. The new Liverpool kit is not just a product; it’s a celebration of football and style. Plus, as part of the campaign, we’re now offering customers the chance to add their favourite players name to their shirt! 

This launch is a testament to the incredible work and dedication of our teams across the business, including our in-house creatives at HelloStudio. From initial concept to final execution, everyone involved has gone above and beyond to bring this collaboration to life. In fact, this has been the most successful football shirt launch ever for Very, and I can understand why!

Enjoying the great outdoors 

Over the last year, our customers have really been embracing the great outdoors. So much so that sales across our outdoor department are up by more than a quarter this season when compared to last year, with outdoor footwear sales up by almost half. 

This summer, to make sure we’re offering our families a great range of products to help families enjoy their new found love for the outdoors, we’ve added Salomon to Very's portfolio. From trail running footwear to hiking backpacks, we’ve introduced 40 products to help families get more out of life. 

To launch the new partnership, our incredible creative and marketing teams have created a bespoke campaign which showcases a women’s journey hiking to the summit of Wales’ tallest mountain, Snowdon (Yr Wyddfa). 

Nancy Bailey, buying manager (sports) at The Very Group