Led by a hero trailer for its coverage of the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup, the BBC launched an integrated ‘Change The Game’ initiative to shine the spotlight women’s sport through the summer.
The spearhead spot features some of the world’s most famous footballers from the UK and beyond focusing on their skills, athleticism and personalities and is set to a reworked ‘Remember The Name’ soundtrack by South London rapper Ms Banks.
This anthemic spot aims to inspire the next generation of women who might follow in these athletes footsteps.
It was directed by Park Pictures’ Georgia Hudson and created by BBC’s in-house creative team, BBC Creative, (which included executive creative director Laurent Simon, creative directors Tim Jones and James Cross and creative Nathalie Gordon) and its debuted during Saturday (25 May) Football Focus programme.
The film was supported by an integrated campaign running across billboards, print and online platforms and it launched the broadcaster’s wider ‘Change the Game’ programme.
James Parry, head of marketing at BBC Sport and events, said: “Ms Banks brought her own unique style to the project, creating a track that we think encapsulates everything that is so exciting about this summer’s Women’s World Cup. Having recently launched our Change the Game campaign, we are proud that this summer the BBC will we be showing more women’s sport than ever before, a feeling we think this track reflects perfectly.”
Nathalie Gordon, creative lead at BBC Creative, added: “Over the last few years we have seen advertising change and it’s more important than ever to create work that matters – that really moves people and makes them think. It’s always special when you get to create a campaign that seeks to challenge the way people are perceived, with an organisation who genuinely has ‘change’ at its heart.”
The 2019 Women’s World Cup will be broadcast live on the BBC: with all 52 matches from France available on BBC platforms.
Comment:
The creative offers a powerful and evocative message which not only inspires but also introduces the BBC’s summer Change the Game women’s sport programme.
But within days of its launch, a billboard featuring athlete Dina Asher-Smith in the BBC Sport campaign were accused of plagiarising Yomi Adegoke’s and Elizabeth Uviebinené’s co-written ‘Slay In Your Lane’ 2018 book (an inspirational guide to life for a generation of black British women)
A BBC spokesperson said that the organisation had taken legal advice before going ahead with the billboards and they were advised that the use of ‘Slay in Your Lane’ as a tagline was “sufficiently far removed from the goods and services covered by the trademark registration in place.”
Initially, BBC Sport’s campaign for the FIFA Women’s World Cup appears to be another slick set of creative from the broadcaster and a worthy effort to inspire female athletes. But just the accusations that the BBC had infringed the ‘Slay In Your Lane’ copyright somewhat undermines the message.
After all, all voices, particularly minority ones, should receive full credit and respect for their creative ideas and purpose.
Links:
BBC
http://www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre
https://www.facebook.com/BBCSport/
https://www.instagram.com/bbcsport/
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCW6-BQWFA70Dyyc7ZpZ9Xlg/featured
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