Iberdrola, the second largest electricity company in the world and one of the most emblematic large companies due to its investments in advertising, beyond ‘green’ energy, has become the image that accompanies the Spanish soccer team with a campaign in which for enlarging soccer fields to accommodate all women’s sports, an idea and a project that is on its way to becoming one of the most important and profitable reputational bets of the group led by Ignacio Sánchez Galán. Although the F League no longer bears his name in the new season, the entity now collects with a campaign parallel to the triumphs of the selection the fruit of seven years of commitment to promoting women’s sport in Spain, as corroborated by sources from the own partner. The initiative to instill in society values and healthy living habits through sport is the group’s great sponsorship bet.
Advancing along this same route, Iberdrola together with the award-winning creative agency Ms. Rushmore, has presented “Campos Aliados”, a new campaign to sponsor women’s sports with the aim of “promoting professional sports carried out by women in Spain to strengthen leagues, support selections and improve the conditions of their practice” assure sources from the entity to ‘La Información’. It also highlights that another of the company’s achievements is to create female references to make athletes and their successes visible, something that has been immediately increased by the triumph of the Spanish women’s soccer team, which somehow, It was born from what until very recently was the Iberdrola League.
A move that has been strategic and wise according to Joan Sardá, an expert in brand strategies, who ensures that Iberdrola has been fully aware of its long-term strategy in the advertising campaign for the women’s team, in order to develop and contribute in turn to women’s sport, now that all of Spain is aware of it. “Putting this event as a sales showcase is very wise on the part of the energy company,” says the expert.
“Expand” the field of vision of women in the media
Faced with the previous scenario, “it is true that women’s sports are less important in the audiovisual media than men’s”, laments Sardá, which is why Iberdrola chooses this campaign as a “great opportunity” to put women in the spotlight world level.
However, not only has the energy company joined in at this “strategic” moment, but Iberdrola has been sponsoring the Spanish women’s soccer team since 2016 and also “its commitment exceeds financial support,” according to sources close to the company. This is due to the enormous added value that women’s sports provide, not only economically, but also morally, within the positioning of women in the media. Since that year, Iberdrola has created this category of Sponsorship that was non-existent until then since “it did not have any significance or media coverage, so it was a risky bet, but very successful over the years”, asserts the CEO from Welink, expert in marketing and communication, Miguel Zarzuelo.
“Women’s sport is taking very serious measures to continue growing worldwide”, Joan Sardá
The audiovisual piece directed by Isis Malpica and Gonzalo Oliveró, “is a good ethical campaign that uses the large soccer field as an element of grandeur, as it alludes to in its slogan, “Extended Fields”, referring to the fact that this field does not understand gender and embraces the effort of women and puts healthy lifestyle values and habits in the spotlight from sport”, clarifies the expert in brand strategy.
Iberdrola y Sra. Rushmore has channeled its support to female soccer athletes through this campaign, highlighting the enriching moment that women’s sport is experiencing. Its evolution has been remarkable, going from occupying a reduced space in the national sports arena to expanding its presence with dedication, culminating in the creation of the “biggest field in the world”.
In addition, it has boosted its results, becoming the benchmark as a brand for women’s sports, according to the CEO of Welink, “more federations have been joining, more ambassadors every year that have consolidated their position in defense of equality”, explains Miguel zarzuelo.
A step forward in the trajectory of women’s football
But, what will happen once the World Cup is over? The expert in advertising and brand positioning strategies, ensures that at the end of the women’s team’s journey, regardless of the final result, a historical chapter and a significant advance in the trajectory of women’s football is registered. “This milestone represents a decisive step, dispelling fears and building a solid foundation that will dispel the reluctance of sponsors” says Joan. While investment in women’s football has historically been lower than in its men’s counterpart, this disparity looks set to gradually fade, without giving up any ground in advertising.
In this context, Iberdrola has assumed a prominent role by taking a step forward, radiating a strength that is expected to permeate the women’s football scene, extending beyond the limits of “traditional” men’s football. The campaign in question seeks, with insight, to spread that same resilience rooted in the field of women’s football, with the firm intention of transcending the male field and embracing a more equitable and promising scenario.
