Sky Sports remixes Stormzy track to promote Women’s Super League

Created by McCann London, the 'Keep up' campaign features renowned grime artists and icons of the WSL game

By creative salon

27 September 2023

Sky Sports has launched its latest campaign ‘Keep Up’ for the Women’s Super League, the top women’s football league in England.

Creative agency McCann London has remixed Stormzy’s 'Shut Up' to create a new track 'Keep Up', to encourage audiences to keep up with Barclay’s Women’s Super League (WSL) on Sky Sports. The track is rapped by Stormzy’s cousin, Nadia Rose, who is joined by renowned grime artists Yungen, Stefflon Don and Bugzy Malone in the video.

England legend Beth Mead, Man City’s Demi Stokes and Liverpool’s Missy Bo Kearns amongst Jen Beattie, Leah Galton, and Rachel Yankey also star in the music video, exuding confidence and attitude as they look to drive more positive recognition of the sport.

Building on the success of England’s Lionesses at this year’s World Cup and increased national interest in the women’s game, this unapologetic statement piece aims to celebrate the incredible quality of football on show this season, live on Sky Sports.

With the best talent from across the country proudly representing their cities and beloved football teams, 'Keep up' aims to inspire more women to play football and encourage more people to watch the women’s game.

Influencers including Grime Gran, Big Manny and many others make up the collaboration.

The film jumps from city to city to promote the fandom and tribalism associated with historic WSL teams, while showing the growing movement that other sports fans may have missed.

'Keep Up' breaks today in the UK across talent and grime community socials. Paid social goes live on 29 September. Media was handled by EssenceMediacom.

Dave Stratton, marketing director at Sky Sports said: “This campaign mixes the worlds of Sport, Music, and Culture to encourage a generation of young fans to tune in to the phenomenal talent playing week in week out in the women's game.”

Regan Warner, executive creative director at McCann London added: “It’s been incredible to work with Sky Sports on our shared ambition to create a Women’s Super League anthem giving women’s football the platform and voice it deserves. And what better way to do this than reworking Stormzy’s 'Shut Up' with Nadia Rose into a rallying cry for us to ‘Keep Up’.”

Christopher McKee and Richard Morgan, creatives at McCann London commented: “It’s not every day you get to remix a British anthem like Stormzy’s ‘Shut Up’. Bringing together the worlds of grime and women’s football just felt so powerful. Two iconic forces that have defied the naysayers, done their own thing and are now finding their rightful place as cultural powerhouses. 'Keep Up' is an unapologetic attitude we should all live by.”