Foot Locker hacks World Cup with gender flipped logo backing female football refs
Foot Locker is championing female referees in a drive to shine a light on women’s football and those officiating the matches – this includes creative where the famous Foot Locker ref logo is represented as a woman.
Foot Locker logo changes gender
With the Women’s World Cup currently forging on in France, the sneaker retailer partnered with three female referees across Europe to tell their stories, a way of sneakily tapping into the tournament.
In Paris, the female profile logo will appear on displays and staff uniforms this month, a bit of Women’s World Cup guerrilla marketing. It promises the logo will be part of its “evolving logo suite” moving forwards.
Adding more depth to the move, the retailer has partnered with the Amateur FA Referees Course and will also be subbing the cost of amateur female referees qualification courses, helping get more female officials into the game.
Marking this across its social channels will be videos including Shona Shukrula, who recently made history as the first women to pass the men’s ref conditioning and fitness test; 16 year-old Caitlin O’Grady, a promising young UK ref; and Stacey Hall who referees male semi-professional games.
Carmen Seman, vice president of marketing at Foot Locker, said: “We’re passionate about enabling and inspiring an inclusive youth culture, of which sports forms a key part. Our campaign is all about celebrating these culture shapers for their skills, regardless of gender or position on the pitch, and inspiring a future generation of young players and refs.”
Creative agency Virtue and PR agency M&C Saatchi Public Relations delivered the campaign.
Headquartered in New York City, Foot Locker boasts 3,221 athletic retail stores in 27 countries.
Watch the videos and vote for the campaign below in The Drum's Creative Works.
