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As momentum grows behind women’s sports, Nike is celebrating soccer heroes past and present ahead of the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup.
The campaign, titled “What the Football” and created by longtime agency partner Wieden+Kennedy, opens with an iconic soccer moment: A father and his daughter are on the edge of their seats watching former U.S. player Brandi Chastain’s 1999 World Cup-winning penalty kick.
As the dad mimics Chastain’s memorable move of ripping off her shirt, he comically slips on a banana peel and is propelled 24 years into the future.
He wakes up from a coma to a different world for women’s soccer, with a new generation of stars and increasing energy behind the game. His adult daughter, catching him up on the highlights, tells him: “We’re in a middle of a very important time. The competition is better than ever.”
The ad features players Ada Hegerberg, Alex Morgan, Asisat Oshoala, Chloe Kelly, Debinha, Grace Geyoro, Kadeisha Buchanan, Megan Rapinoe, Sam Kerr, Sophia Smith and Wang Shuang.
The dad is overwhelmed by the powerful roster of talent from around the world, but his daughter’s speech ends with the most surprising new addition of all: his granddaughter.
Nike has also released individual episodic videos about several of the players.
Paving the way for a new generation
With more brands showing support for women’s sports, Nike said its World Cup ad underscores its “dedication to serve and support female athletes.”
The campaign will be accompanied by the brand’s “most robust athlete service offering ever,” including dedicated recovery spaces where athletes in Nike’s sponsored federations can rest between matches.
“At Nike, we have always firmly believed that the voice of the athlete has the power to change the world,” Tanya Hvizdak, vp of global women’s sports marketing at Nike, said in a statement. “For the last 50 years, we’ve worked with athletes who share our values and vision to move the world forward through the power of sport. As we look to the future, many of our female athletes have a fresh perspective and ambition to create even bigger change. Together with them, we are partnering to deliver new product innovations and services, support communities, and expand sport for the next generation.”
More widely, women’s soccer is seeing unprecedented momentum around the world.
In the U.S., for example, the National Women’s Soccer League reached record attendance numbers halfway through the 2023 season, up 48% over last year.
FIFA president Gianni Infantino said that the 2023 tournament—which kicks off on July 20 in co-hosting countries Australia and New Zealand—was on track to become the most attended Women’s World Cup in history, with more than 1 million tickets sold as of June.