Amazon’s ‘The Grit’ celebrates the spirit of women’s football
March 15, 2024
This past Monday, e-commerce giant, Amazon, released a European ad campaign highlighting the rigor, resilience and passion of grassroots women and girl footballers in collaboration with the UEFA Women's Champions League.
Working with creative agency adam&eveDDB, and directed by BAFTA-nominated director Molly Manning Walker, "The Grit" showcases how playing women’s football can increase confidence and self-esteem. The title reflects the sport’s ruggedness and the player’s commitment. This is Amazon’s first-ever major pan-European sports sponsorship of UEFA Women’s Football.
The spot is juxtaposed against the 1950s track ‘Sweet Old Fashioned Girl’ by Teresa Brewer and features real-life football players in a series of high-energy scenes ranging from free kicks and tackles to exasperation and celebration. From the football field to the arena corridors to the locker room, the presence of the football players remains central, even as Amazon's extensive line of pre-and post-game merchandise plays a supporting role.
“Across Europe, we have seen a huge surge in support for the women’s game, from record crowds to an upsurge in grassroots sign-ups. The excitement around the game is palpable, and we recognize the halo effect that this has on women and girls, helping unleash their confidence, on and off the pitch,” said Jo Shoesmith, vice president and global chief creative officer at Amazon, in a statement.
The campaign coincides with Amazon’s launch of its Women’s Football store across Europe in countries like Belgium, France, Germany, Austria, Italy, Netherlands, Spain, Portugal and the UK. Catering to women football fans and players, it offers a wide array of products for training, performance and recovery needs; the sportswear line was created by an all-women team. Later this year, Amazon will also introduce the first Official UEFA Women’s Champions League online store.
Amazon consulted with experts to authentically reflect the players' lived experiences, including Manning Walker, who is also co-founder of UK-based football team Babe City FC, Andy Ansah, former player and sports-on-screen consultant and This Fan Girl, a football creative consultancy agency showcasing diverse casting of players across levels of skills across Europe.
“Football has impacted every area of my life and made me the confident person I am today. Being a leader in my business, knowing how to work in a team, and the social life I have – I credit all of that to what I’ve learned on the pitch, so it’s really exciting to be part of Amazon’s campaign celebrating that spirit of the women’s game,” said Lauren Heria who features in the spot.
The advert will run on the UK’s ITV’s 6 Nations: England vs. France match on March 16 and across selected European countries through the end of May across television, Video On Demand, Cinema, Online Video, Social and Digital Out of Home. Amazon will also release an extended version during tomorrow’s FA Cup Quarter Final match.