The Football Association and Hasbro have teamed up ahead of the SSE Women’s FA Cup Finalto create the first Subbuteo set ever to feature only female footballers.
The new limited edition, created by The FA under license from Hasbro, set features two teams (22 players and six substitutes) wearing the kit colours of finalists Arsenal and Chelsea, while the classic Subbuteo box has been redesigned to put women players front and centre.
The FA’s game launch press release says that the limited-edition set reflects the growing popularity of the women’s game and will help raise the sport’s profile.
The new look set was unveiled at a launch event at Wembley Stadium (Connected By EE) fronted by former England Women’s star Sue Smith ahead of The SSE Women’s FA Cup Final on 5 May.
Fans will be offered several different opportunities to get hold of one of the limited edition sets through FA initiatives across social channels through the coming months.
Marzena Bogdanowicz, The FA’s Head of Marketing and Commercial for Women’s Football, said: “This new all-female Subbuteo set is a reflection of the rapid growth that women’s football is seeing in the UK right now. We aspire to greater equality all the way from board games to board rooms, and every day – via our The Gameplan for Growth strategy – striving to transform the future of the women’s game on and off the pitch.”
James Walker, Senior Vice President at Hasbro, said: “We are incredibly excited to work with The FA to place focus on female footballers in this special edition of Subbuteo. Subbuteo has a rich heritage that reflects the nation’s love of football and this all-female playset is recognition of the vital role that women’s football has in our culture.”
The campaign has been developed for The Football Association’s head of corporate comms and campaigns Louisa Fyans, head of commercial and marketing for women’s football Marzena Bogdanowicz, senior campaigns manager David Gerty and campaigns manager Nick Smith
along with a team from agency Ogilvy UK that included Reema Babakhan, Maeve Hart, Andrew Lopez, Sam Watts, Andy Will and Cherrelle Jefferson.
Comment:
Brilliant and about bloody time.
This is something of a UK landmark in the long history of the iconic table football game was.
It also supports The FA’s ongoing objective to tackle barriers within the women’s game: as illustrated in the organization’s recent ‘#ForAll Diversity In Football’ initiative (see case study).
The release is already generating plenty of positive media coverage.
The Guardian Subbuteo first all-female teams left playing behind closed doors … The Guardian FA and Hasbro criticised for not making set available to buy – with it only being available to winners on social media. and more » https://t.co/QabqaoYnhK pic.twitter.com/qolxDUdeOC
— The FA Cup Final (@FACupFinal) May 3, 2018
Links:
The FA
https://www.facebook.com/EnglandTeam
https://www.youtube.com/user/fatv
Hasbro
Ogilvy UK
