A joint social movement style campaign from ad agency Serviceplan House of Communication Spain, COGAM (a Madrid-based LGBTQI+ NGO) and Polish studio Game-Changer leveraged the 2022 FIFA Men’s World Cup and challenged host nation Qatar’s human rights via a gamer-focused, digital-first initiative called #LoveWinsQatar.
Amidst the tidal wave of Qatar 2022 criticism – focusing on financial corruption, as well as worker, gender and LGBTQI+ rights – this social initiative saw a trio of outfits join to start a social movement that called on the world’s gamers to share images of love between footballers during virtual matches.
The in-game campaign mechanics invited players to ‘join the the fight for love and respect with #LoveWinsQatar’ by:
1) Score a goal
2) Direct your player close to another
3) Capture the image
4) Share it with #LoveWinsQatar
The international initiative, which was promoted by a hero video shared across owned digital and social platforms from 29 November called ‘#LOVEWINSQATAR’, was amplified and adapted into five different languages: Spanish, English, Portuguese, German and Polish.
As the spot stated: “The world’s biggest football tournament is taking place in Qatar, but LGBT+ rights are still being punished in many nations. It’s time to unite in defence of love and respect. Let’s show the world that love always wins. Join the #LoveWinsQatar movement.”
“In football video games it sometimes happens that players kiss, hug, hold hands. There are even glitches that can simulate displays of affection. That’s where the idea came from,” explained a Serviceplan creative team statement. “If you can’t show love on the real playing field, let’s do it on the virtual playing field.”
“This is one of those absolutely necessary campaigns, born as a reaction to something unjust: Qatar does not respect basic human rights, in particular those of the LGBT+ community,” added Serviceplan ECD Emilio Valverde. “And to give voice and spread to this initiative, we wanted to do it through a community, the gamer community, committed, supportive and with a huge amount of influence. Hopefully the message will resonate around the world.”
COGAM spokesperson Carmen Garcia de Merlo commented: “We encourage people to make our reality visible for our rights, for our wellbeing in a fairer society in equality and diversity. With this initiative, we will help to break down discrimination against LGTB+ people”
Other associations, charities and NGOs around the world have also supported the cause: including the Brazilian foundation Aliança Nacional LGBTI+ and Federación Argentina LGBT.
Comment
This is one of several inventive LGBTQ+ Qatar 2022 protests and it sits alongside the likes of Deloitte Digital and Twitterperlein’s ‘One-Love Virtual Hair Dye’ and Boyoctt Qatar’s ‘The Football Blackout’ project.
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