As the sun warms up for this summer’s much-anticipated tournament FIFA Women’s World Cup, Nike unveils its newest mission – the awe-inspiring “What The Football” campaign. It’s a global celebration of the women who lace up their boots, walk onto the pitch, and inspire millions, showing us how they are not just playing the game but changing it.
This empowering initiative, Nike “What The Football” campaign, casts a refreshing spotlight on female footballers. These are athletes whose skill, determination, and love for the game are impacting sports culture and redefining what it means to be a footballer. Far from just endorsing products, these women are partnering with Nike to create a broader, more nuanced conversation about the role of sport in society and the need for equality.
At the heart of this campaign is an immersive film, a time-travelling journey that takes us back to the seminal moment of the 1999 Brandi Chastain penalty kick. As the crowd holds its collective breath, a father and daughter on the edge of their seats bear witness to this epoch-defining moment. The ball rockets into the net – goal! In an amusing twist, Dad slips, hurtling us forward 24 years to today’s electrifying football landscape, revealing the “What The Football” campaign’s juxtaposition of past and present, and the sheer joy this summer’s tournament promises to deliver.
Eleven top-notch footballers, each a trailblazer in her own right, are the heroines of this narrative. The campaign showcases these extraordinary athletes, not merely for their on-field prowess but as champions of change. They are Ada Hegerberg, Alex Morgan, Asisat Oshoala, Chloe Kelly, Debinha, Grace Geyoro, Kadeisha Buchanan, Megan Rapinoe, Sam Kerr, Sophia Smith, and Wang Shuang. They are the vanguard of this revolution in football, propelling women’s sports forward and challenging societal norms in the process.
The Nike “What The Football” campaign doesn’t stop at a single film. In a bold move, Nike has also rolled out a series of episodic films, each featuring one of these footballing icons. These episodes, available on the Nike Football YouTube page, delve deeper into the athletes’ journeys, offering a more intimate understanding of what it takes to stand tall in a field long dominated by men.
What sets the “What The Football” campaign apart is Nike’s commitment to not only showcase but actively nurture female talent in the sporting world. This initiative is proof of Nike’s industry-leading investment in women athletes, underscoring a broader pledge to grow women’s sports. In the words of the company itself, Nike is about “redefining the athlete partnership model to better listen and to serve athletes holistically and collaborate with them on creating positive change through sport“.
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