espnW: espnW

Credits & Description:

Agency: Africa
Client: ESPN
Product: espnW
Partners: Netshoes and Penalty
CCO: Sergio Gordilho
Creative Directors: Sophie Schonburg / Marco Bezerra
Copywriter: Guzera
Art Director: Bill Queiroga
Special Projects: Monique Lopes Lima / Fernanda Segura / Julia Newman
Agency Producers: Rodrigo Ferrari / Patricia Melito
Client Services: Carolina Boccia/ Bruna Alonso/ Rafael Nogueira / Mariana Marcao
Project Manager: Carolina Mader
Media: Luiz Fernando Vieira/ Rodrigo Famelli / Gabriela Dib / Carlos Guerra
Planning: Rodrigo Maroni / Aldo Pini / Isadora Marchesini / Thiago Nascimento
Production Company: PBA
Director: Nixon Freire
Executive Producers: Joao Luz / Nivio Alves de Souza
Production Director: Paulo Vicente
D.O.P.: Nixon Freire
Editing: Matheus Razera Tibira
Post Production: Warriors VFX
Color Correction: Bleach
Sound Design: Quiet City Music + Sound
Sound Producer: Chris Jordao
Sound Executive Producers: Lu Fernandes / Xanna D’Aguiar
Photographer: Rodrigo Pirim
Approved by: Leandro Simoes / Alexandre Lopes / Marian Nicolau
Published: April 2018
Synopsis:
The “Inequality Balls” Project draws the attention to gender inequality turning different sports balls into a visual representation of the problem
espnW, in partnership with Penalty and Netshoes launches a campaign that illustrates inequality between men and women in sports. The objective is to draw attention to the huge gap in terms of investments, prize money and salaries.
The project, created by ad agency Africa, kicks off with a launch film featuring female athletes who are icons in Brazilian sports, such as Jaqueline Silva, Virna Dias, Betina Schmidt and Camila Brait, from volleyball, Alline Calandrini, from soccer and Marisa Cintra, from freestyle soccer. Called Inequality Balls, it brings exclusive balls that were produced by Penalty – the largest Brazilian sporting goods manufacturer - and will be sold and distributed all over Brazil by Netshoes, the leading sports online retailer in Latin America. The profit from the sales will be donated to female empowerment NGO Think Olga and others.
The initiative was born as an answer to a survey conducted by the British newspaper Sporting Intelligence in 2017 that analyzed the salaries of 465 teams in 29 different leagues, in 16 countries for 9 different sports and highlighted the huge gender gap present in all sports. To draw the attention to the matter and prompt effective changes, the project uses two colors in basketballs, soccer balls, handballs, and volleyballs as a visual representation of the differences between female and male athletes.

Synopsis
In 1973, the tennis player Billie Jean King scored a major victory in the fight against gender inequality in sports, the match became known as the Battle of the Sexes. But 45 years later, women still need to play hard against inequality. They still earn on average 40% less than men. And investments in women’s sports are up to 90% lower. These are shocking numbers that go unnoticed by most people. Everyone knows that male athletes have bigger salaries and opportunities. But only a few know how huge the gap in gender inequality is.

The balls turned into inequality graphics expose the difference and help change the situation. The objective is to turn the CHANGE THE GAME balls into a symbol against inequality exactly when people are experiencing sports. The balls are an invitation for them to take an active stand about the issue and actually play against inequality.

Outcome
All the money gained from the sales of the balls is being given to NGOs that fight against inequality in sports.

From simple balls to a powerful discussion. The inequality balls soon spread all over social networks and media:

7.5 million interactions in social networks.

15.3 million people impacted in sites and TV shows

2,000 balls sold in the biggest sports e-commerce in the world

The money from the balls’ sales is being donated to NGOs that help fight inequality in sports.

The project is still happening, and the inequality balls are still being made in large scale.

Penalty increased 20% its penetration among the female audience.

ESPNW’s site access increased 50%

Search for “inequality in sport” increased 240%

Watch the film, see the balls being produced and more at www.inequalityballs.com

Execution
After analyzing the design we would use and finding out in which sports the problems of gender inequality were stronger, we created the graphic for each one of the balls in the most impacting way possible, aiming for visual effectiveness. And lastly, we started to produce them in large scale. More than 2,000 balls were produced and nowadays they are an ongoing product sold by this sports brand, the largest in Latin America.

When the balls were ready, we created an online platform to promote the project and commercialize the balls in the biggest sports e-commerce in the world. The project became news in media and we created a film featuring athletes from Brazilian teams that were ambassadors of the cause, developing a series of OOH pieces. Some balls were sent to several athletes, digital influencers and sports celebrities. Soon the product became content in social networks and TV shows.

Campaign Description
Everyone knows that men’s sports offer bigger salaries, more opportunities and more sponsorship deals. But few people know how big the inequality numbers are. How could a worldwide famous sports channel and a sports brand that are advocates of women’s sports help change this? We decided to create a symbol that would not only inform the numbers but also drive people to play against them. This is how the special collection of CHANGE THE GAME balls was born. Using the two colors, balls of different sports were transformed in inequality graphics of the problem. Each graphic highlighted in the copy the abyss that exists between men and women. The soccer and handball balls expose the differences in terms of sponsorship deals. The basketball ball exposes the difference in investments in the leagues. The volleyball ball talks about non-sexist media articles. All balls are a invitation to play against inequality.