Coca-Cola traces messages of support for Women’s World Cup onto football pitches

This 2023 Women’s World Cup has broken records for viewership and fan engagement; but this hasn’t always been the reception women’s football has received. A new campaign from Coca-Cola Australia is celebrating its growth while reminding viewers of the journey and hardship it took to get there – for players and fans alike.

WPP Open X, AKQA and Ogilvy PR have collaborated on the project. The campaign sees messages of growth traced onto pitches in Australia and New Zealand. Each statement begins with an example of negative commentary and ends with fresh statistics that break down the preconception.

The campaign draws particular attention to the journeys of two players – Ellie Carpenter and Katie Bowen. For example, one pitch reads “Katie Bowen won’t make it far at the international level”, before the message changes to “Katie Bowen just played for her country in her 4th FIFA Women’s World Cup.” Some other statistics include the number of mums currently playing football for their county – 25 – and the record amount of people that recently tuned in to watch the sport – 2 billion.

The team behind the project found a way to execute the concept without damaging the pitch. A machine was used to blow blades of grass in one direction, creating letters when the field is hit by light. The result is a temporary message which appears etched into the grass when viewed from above.