Sydney Sweeney has become the face of one of the more eye-catching marketing campaigns of the year, with Novig using the actress to promote its newly-minted prediction market platform.
We’ve included one of the ‘less naked’ promo shots here
The campaign sees Sweeney posing in various states of undress surrounded by different sports gear, plus the simple message: “Just Sports.”
It’s certainly got people talking, with the posts gaining millions of likes on Instagram.
However, several prominent female athletes have now criticized the campaign for sexualizing women’s sport, with four-time Olympic gold medallist Ariarne Titmus calling it a “kick in the face” to women who have dedicated their lives to sport.
Other female athletes have also hit out at the ads, but Sweeney attempted to counter some of the backlash, posting photos of other athletes like Serena Williams and Megan Rapinoe who’ve posed naked before.
All that being said, it’s important to remember that the ads aren’t promoting women’s sport – they’re promoting sports prediction markets.
And the interesting thing is that Sweeney isn’t just a hired hand here – she’s an equity and strategic partner in Novig. Apparently she approached the company herself after looking into other prediction markets, according to the Wall Street Journal.
Novig CEO Jacob Fortinsky said she was “a huge part of not only the creative process, but also the messaging”.
That makes the campaign a little more interesting than your average celebrity endorsement. Sweeney has a financial interest in Novig getting noticed, and with around 26 million Instagram followers, she certainly has the reach to do it.
Novig’s Move From Sweepstakes to Prediction Markets
The campaign feels like the launch of a new era for Novig.
The company may be familiar to social casino players after operating a sweepstakes-based sportsbook in the US for the last couple of years, but it’s now moved into the prediction market space, with its CFTC-regulated exchange launching nationwide on August 4.
It seems the prediction market is on its way to replacing the sweepstakes element, although the brand’s novig.us sweeps domain still being functional means we wouldn’t necessarily write this as a definitive exit from the vertical just yet.
But one thing is for certain: Novig’s product is focused exclusively on sports, distinguishing it from broader prediction market platforms such as Kalshi and Polymarket – these offer contracts covering everything from politics to entertainment.
And it will likely need that differentiation as it’s entering a market that’s getting increasingly crowded. Prediction markets have become one of the biggest stories in US gaming this year, with traditional sportsbooks, crypto companies, and other gaming brands all looking for a piece of the action.
We’ve already seen celebrities enter the broader gaming space, with Jake Paul behind Betr and Snoop Dogg involved with Dogg House Casino. In fact, Betr recently launched a new upgraded version of its app, pushing its own prediction market section, with Jeremy Piven, Adrian Grenier, Lonzo Ball, and Gelo Ball on board in that campaign.
Celebrity and influencer endorsements are clearly helping to power the rise of prediction markets, and the Sweeney ad might be seen as provocative, dumb, or both by onlookers, but the strategy behind it is pretty easy to understand.
Novig is trying to establish itself in a rapidly expanding prediction market industry, and it’s partnering with one of Hollywood’s biggest stars to make sure people know its name. You could certainly say Sweeney has ‘skin in the game’, and, for now, with publicity good and bad, it seems to be working.
Author: Michael Fatouros
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