The 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand is fast approaching, and many participating nations are rolling out creative advertising campaigns aimed at generating excitement and challenging biases against women’s soccer.

One buzzed-about ad comes not from a federation but from the French telecom company Orange. Their video campaign features the players from France’s Women’s National Team competing in a match. But through clever editing, their bodies are replaced mid-action with the bodies of players from the French Men’s National Team. The seamless transitions portray the women executing the same skilled moves and goals as their male counterparts.

This visual effect illustrates that the women’s game features the same athleticism, drama and entertainment value that captivates fans of the men’s game. The ad’s tagline “Support Les Bleus, means support them all” drives home the message that supporting France means getting behind both the women’s and men’s national teams equally.

The ad uses viewers’ preconceived biases to demonstrate that once those biases are removed, it becomes clear the women’s game is just as exciting as the men’s. Orange’s goal was to highlight that French fans should bring the same passion and support to Les Bleues as they do Les Bleus.

Another buzz-generating ad comes from Nike, who created an animated production celebrating soccer superstar Megan Rapinoe as an “All-American Hero.” The commercial, titled “Let it Rip,” is done in a stylized 90s anime look and depicts Rapinoe scoring goals and celebrating in fictional cartoon scenes. Known for her flashy purple hair and outspoken support of gender equity causes, Rapinoe is portrayed as a trailblazing icon for women’s sports. Nike’s animated comic book-style ad aims to capture fans’ imaginations and establish Rapinoe as an inspirational force as she retires from the USWNT after an illustrious career.

With record broadcasts expected for the 2023 Women’s World Cup, it’s clear that interest in women’s soccer is on the rise globally. Creative promotions like these that challenge stereotypes and emphasize entertainment value are helping drive momentum. As the tournament kicks off, the play on the field will allow the athletes to further capture fans’ imagination. And hopefully, innovative advertising campaigns will continue to play a key role in advancing equity in women’s sports for tournaments to come.

The growing interest in women’s soccer and the 2023 World Cup comes amidst record attendance numbers for many top-division European women’s club teams in recent seasons. In 2022, FC Barcelona set a world record when over 91,000 fans packed Camp Nou stadium to watch their UEFA Women’s Champions League quarterfinal match. England’s Women’s Super League has also seen rapidly rising attendance, with Manchester United women playing in front of over 20,000 fans at Old Trafford. Major clubs like Lyon, Paris Saint-Germain, and Chelsea are consistently attracting thousands of fans for domestic league matches. The excitement and fan support for European women’s club soccer reflects the momentum building globally for women’s football heading into the 2023 World Cup.