FAI WNT
SQUAD
ANNOUNCEMENT
THE BRIEF
In 2023 , for the first time in our nation’s footballing history, the Irish Women’s National Team qualified for the Women’s World Cup.
The FAI had identified tentpole moments as part of a far reaching strategy around the Women’s World Cup. One of these was the announcement of the squad. From the outset, the FAI identified this as a big brand moment and enlisted our support to bring a concept and execution to life.
STRATEGY & EXECUTION
As the first ever squad announcement for the Women’s World Cup, this was a marquee moment. It was to be eminently shareable and get instant cut-through.
The concept should instil a sense of pride amongst the team and wider public. We wanted each and every person who saw the video (from players to fans) to instantly feel pride and want to share the video
This squad announcement should stand up against any other in the world; men’s or women’s through creativity and innovation
The concept had to be flexible and allow us to move quickly. We knew we would not know the names of the final World Cup squad until the players did, which was only 1 day before the public announcement. This had to be a key consideration from a creative standpoint
This was our starting point as a strategic framework and the platform for idea generation.
EXECUTION
Drawing inspiration from the universally revered status of murals, we aimed to elevate the team's perception, connecting them with Irish people on a deeper level. Integrating a young girl playing football added a crucial human touch, emphasizing the team's significance to society. Every element was crafted to captivate viewers, prompting reflection and engagement. Using motion graphics elevated excitement by depicting murals growing. It reinforced anticipation, announcing players' names and presenting them as new cultural icons to celebrate and remember.
Incorporating reverb elements from Lyra's original track, ‘New Day’, into the sound design deepened the emotional resonance. Advanced camera stabilisation technology facilitated dynamic shots for mural animations. A free, handheld approach conveyed immediacy and energy in footage of the young girl playing football.
RESULTS
Whilst we were collectively very proud of our squad announcement, the results surpassed all expectations by going truly viral. There were over 1M views within the first three hours. Overall, we saw >5M views, 50K likes and over 3K shares. The video was the 2nd most viewed video on X in Ireland for the year at the time of launch.