The Brand: Women’s National Team

The Campaign: World Cup 2023 Campaign

Brand Challenge: For the first time, the Women's National Team was going to participate in the World Cup. A historic moment that clearly shows the evolution of women's football in Portugal and the talent of the current generation of Portuguese athletes. Fortunately, many sponsors in Portugal were already developing campaigns to support the National Team and hype was already being created all over the country regarding the participation in the World Cup. The main challenge was not only to amplify this awareness, but above all to inspire new girls to play football, using the World Cup as a motivation to recruit new athletes for the sport.

Strategic Approach: It's difficult to communicate women's football without falling into the commonplace of comparing women's football to men's football, or without mentioning the usual criticisms of the low speed and technical skills of the players. When looking at all the campaigns made over the years on women's football, this is usually the path. A true path, but too worn and tiring. Communication in women's football cannot be just for that.

It would also be unrealistic to try to communicate Portugal's participation in this World Cup as an event that would get the Portuguese crazy and excited as they are when the Men's National Team plays in a final competition. It was not going to happen.

We wanted to use this World Cup as a turning point in women's football in Portugal. Not in the way people see this sport (you don't change mindsets with an advertising campaign), but in the way we talk to the girls who today are starting to touch a football ball for the first time. This was our strategic choice, focusing on girls and athletes, not on prejudices. And being able to look to the future using this participation in the World Cup as inspiration.

Creative Concept: The first of many
I came across really great creative concepts throughout my career, but this was a special one. Besides the fact that it was catchy, it represented everything we wanted to communicate. This was the first ever World Cup, which all past generations struggled to achieve. But it was also the first World Cup that would inspire new generations of girls to take up football, a sport mostly associated with men.

Credits

CMO: Nuno Moura

Brand Manager: Telmo Esteves

Brand Manager: Rui Mascarenhas

Communication Manager: Matilde Dias
Agency: Uzina

Production: 78