Yesterday, Football Australia launched its latest Play Football campaign via Blood Utd and Visual Domain, created to encourage everyone to find their place and join their local football team. The campaign lands just days out from the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, a time when football awareness is at its highest.
The Play Football campaign features Subway Socceroos Awer Mabil and Andrew Redmayne, both of whom will be taking the field in Qatar, as well as CommBank Matildas, Sam Kerr and Ellie Carpenter. The players’ involvement marks the first-time national team players have been involved in the campaign. The involvement of these players creates a strong link between the World Cup and grassroots football, allowing for the perceived barrier between the two to be removed.
Showcasing the sense of belonging and true self that is found when joining a football team, the Play Football campaign aims to convey that everyone is welcome to join the sport and has the potential to grow up to play just like their idols.
On the importance of the Play Football campaign, current CommBank Matildas player, Sam Kerr reflected on the positive impact football had on her life: “There’s nothing quite like the fun and freedom of playing football in a team with all your friends. It’s such a special feeling, no matter where I’m playing around the world, the buzz I experience playing football with my teammates is always the same. Football has provided me with some of my best memories and friends, I would encourage everyone to find a club and experience this for themselves.”
With the campaign highlighting the sense of community felt when getting involved with football, Peter Filopoulos, head of marketing, communications and corporate affairs at Football Australia says: “Already acclaimed as the largest team-based participation sport in Australia, this particular Play Football campaign presents a unique opportunity to further ignite interest in football participation in Australia, as the Subway Socceroos embark on their quest at the FIFA Men’s World Cup Qatar 2022TM in November and the CommBank Matildas prepare for the FIFA Women’s World Cup Australia and New Zealand 2023TM on home soil in July.
“We are confident that the aspirational tone of this campaign, featuring players Sam Kerr, Ellie Carpenter, Awer Mabil, and Andrew Redmayne, will inspire people of all ages, genders and abilities around the country to find their place in the football community and get involved.
“Whether it is as a player, coach, referee, or volunteer, football is for everyone – from our national team stars competing at FIFA World Cups, all the way down to the community and grassroots.”
Blood Utd and Visual Domain led the creative development and production of the content, with the TVC to run across mainstream TV, catch up TV, digital and social.
Says David Smith, chief creative officer at Blood Utd: “With two massive world cups coming up, and one on home shores, we wanted a campaign that focused on the universality of football. The world game has space for anyone and everyone. It is a game where young or old can all find a place to belong.”
Creative director at Visual Domain, Adam Connolly has previously worked on the Play Football campaigns and is proud to watch them get bigger and better each year: “It was an honour to work with some of Australia’s biggest football names for this campaign, filming across great locations in NSW, QLD and VIC.”
Creative Agency: Blood Utd
CCO: David Smith
Production: Visual Domain
Creative Director: Adam Connolly
Featured Players:
Sam Kerr
Ellie Carpenter
Awer Mabil
Andrew Redmayne
Clubs and school featured in the TVC:
Brisbane: Mt Gravatt Hawks FC & Toowong FC
Central Coast: East Gosford FC
Melbourne: Endeavour Sporting Club & Barton United FC
School: Carrington Primary School
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