Graphic: Travis Kelce singing and t-swift with a football Hannah Anderson/The Olaf Messenger
If you ask any Taylor Swift fan what they were doing on Sept. 24, they will remember all too well that they were watching Swift giddily cheer Travis Kelce on during the Kansas City football game. Swifties across the world have excitedly indulged themselves in the Swift and Kelce narrative. There’s plenty of connections between the two love. Both were born in 1989, Taylor’s next album release being a re-record of her album 1989. The Chiefs’ colors resemble Taylor’s iconic red lip, a staple of the 1989 era. Kelce even apparently asked Swift out via friendship bracelet, it’s hard not to root for their blooming romance.
However, with every public relationship comes a lot of speculation from the media. In this case in particular, many can’t help but wonder if Swift and Kelce’s relationship is simply a marketing ploy.
Since Swift was first seen at the Chiefs game, one of the biggest questions asked to football fans — including Kelce and his teammates — has been, “how does it feel that Taylor Swift has put Travis Kelce on the map?” Many claim that it was Kelce who put Taylor on the map, saying they would not have really known much about her themselves before this, while others argue that Taylor has truly helped NFL ratings go up. Kelce and Swift both have immensely passionate fanbases, and with their rumored relationship, the passion of their fanbases is seeming to merge. No matter who put who on the map, marketing for both Swift and Kelce has skyrocketed. Some NFL fans who had in the past labeled Swift as “the girl who writes breakup songs,” are now aware of who she is as a singer, introducing themselves to her music.
With Kelce and Swift’s rumored relationship, her name continues to be in the headlines as she gets ready to release her album, 1989 (Taylor’s Version), on Oct. 27. While Swift’s fanbase is already overwhelmingly high in numbers, having her name in the headlines as a new album comes out is helpful for marketing. According to a report given by the data software company Chartmetric, Swift’s monthly listeners increased by 2.25 percent since the rumors of her and Kelce first began and she has also seen a 1.12 percent follower increase on Instagram, a 1.45 percent boost on YouTube, and a 5.37 percent follower boost on TikTok. While these percentages might seem rather small, especially when comparing them to the NFL’s new viewership percentages since the debut of Kelce and Swift, it is important to keep in mind that Swift was already one of the most listened to and most popular artists on the music charts. Being the most streamed female artist as of October 2023, any increase in listeners is astonishing.
Whether the marketing side of Swift and Kelce’s relationship is intentional or not, it is incredibly helpful to both of their brands. While it is important to remember both Kelce and Swift are human beings who deserve to embrace their relationship in private, it is seemingly impossible for two prominent pop culture figures to not have their relationship known by the media. With this publicity comes a marketing benefit.
It is not our place to accuse their relationship of being a simple marketing ploy, and in the light of love, it is a rather cute relationship no matter where you stand. It doesn’t hurt, however, to say that their relationship is still rather influential in the success of NFL ratings and Swift’s upcoming album sales.
Emeline Smith is from Denver, Colo. Her majors are creative writing and psychology.
