96% of women have had to play in a men’s football kit at some point in their career.
This stark statistic highlights a significant gender disparity in sports apparel - one that didn’t sit right with Australian-born football brand PARK… or Hopeful Monsters.
After hearing numerous stories from female football players worldwide about the discomfort and impracticality of playing in ill-fitting men's kits, PARK set out to create a solution - designing a sustainable football kit specifically tailored to female bodies, addressing the unique needs of women athletes.
The primary objective of the campaign was to raise awareness of the widespread issue of women playing in men's kits and to promote PARK's newly designed kit as the solution.
We aimed to disrupt the existing narrative, which falsely suggested that all female players, from amateur to pro, had access to well-fitting kits, thanks to high-profile events like the FIFA Women’s World Cup featuring a minority of professional teams wearing ones from other big brands such as Nike and Adidas.
Whereas their campaigns would be seen to support the women’s game, our campaign would be the one that highlighted a real-world issue in women’s football to drive change.
Our goal was to create a movement that would highlight the problem and drive change within the football industry, positioning PARK as a leader in advocating for inclusivity and gender equality in sports.
And so ‘It’s Time to Play Better’ was born - a rallying cry to draw a line in the sand.
To achieve our objective, we started by understanding and highlighting the scale of the issue. We conducted in-depth interviews with female players at all levels of the game, gathering raw, authentic stories about their experiences with ill-fitting kits.
The campaign was launched via a closed football community with professional A-League player Emma Illjoski, who knew all too well the experiences of playing in a men’s kit, spearheading the conversation.
Comments like: “My kit bunched at my crotch,” “It was tight in areas I don’t want it to be tight in,” and “I was practically drowning in it” underscored the severity of the problem.
In collaboration with the Professional Footballers Association, we commissioned a research project that confirmed 96% of female players had to wear men’s kits at some point in their careers.
Armed with this powerful data, we knew we had to develop a compelling and creative campaign to stand out during the crowded FIFA Women’s World Cup season in Australia and New Zealand. With all the big brands vying for attention on a global stage, we needed to stand out. "It’s Time to Play Better" became our rallying cry, aimed at challenging the status quo and advocating for better-fitting kits for women.
We launched the campaign with a hero video featuring three A-League players, who shared their personal stories and called on the industry to address this gender disparity. To foster a sense of community and drive engagement, we created a closed WhatsApp group for female players to share their experiences and rally together. This initiative helped us collect hundreds of stories, demonstrating the widespread nature of the problem and galvanizing support for our cause.
To ensure maximum visibility, we utilized strategic and unconventional media placements. Banners were hung outside bars showing World Cup matches, on balconies of homes near major stadiums, and along street walls on the paths leading to stadiums.
These tactics allowed us to connect authentically with football fans and maximize our impact at a fraction of the cost of traditional billboards and OOH advertising.
We also seeded kits to media, players, and influential personalities to generate buzz and support.
We even got the kit into the changing rooms of the Matilda’s during the World Cup and scored a shout-out from key player Alex Chidiac.
Prominent national and international outlets like The Guardian, News Corp and the Daily Mail covered our campaign, featuring interviews with players and PARK’s founder. This extensive media coverage amplified our message and reached a broader audience.
The "It’s Time to Play Better" campaign exceeded the client’s expectations, achieving remarkable results and making a significant impact on women's football.
We successfully created a community of over 300 female players at all levels, united by a shared mission to change the game for the better. This sense of solidarity and collective action was a testament to the campaign's effectiveness.
Our earned media strategy delivered 61 pieces of coverage, resulting in over 71 million opportunities to see, with 100% positive sentiment. Social media content generated 754,000 impressions, further amplifying our message and engaging a wide audience.
The campaign also drove tangible business results for PARK. Website traffic increased by 86% during the campaign, and the new kit exceeded its sales targets.
The success of the campaign caught the attention of prominent online retailer Ultra Football, which then chose to stock the PARK brand.
Additionally, PARK secured a partnership with Sam Kerr Football, further cementing its position as a leader in advocating for gender equality in sports.
Our approach to highlighting and addressing the issue of ill-fitting kits for female footballers not only raised awareness but also drove meaningful change within the industry.
The campaign's success demonstrated the power of strategic, creative, and authentic storytelling in promoting gender equality and inclusivity in sports.
