Arguably celebrating victory is a more straightforward marketing brief than hitting the right tone in the midst of the misery of defeat.

Yet last weekend’s World Cup Final marked the first time England has reached a World Cup final since the men's team faced Germany in 1966. The impact of this tournament will last far longer than the sting of England’s defeat, especially when it comes to participation levels.  

This legacy is at the heart of a new social campaign from EE, created by Saatchi & Saatchi. 

The campaign celebrates the Lionesses, showing how their performances, resilience and overwhelming teamwork is inspiring the next generation of players. 

The creative depicts a familiar line-up of current players, standing alongside the next generation of footballing talent. 

The work uses a graphic collage effect to celebrate the incredible impact this team has had upon grassroots sport and the fast-growing fandom of women’s football. 

The execution encourages viewers to discover EE Playmaker, a free, online entry-level football coaching course for grassroots volunteers aged 14 or over from any background, that requires no previous football experience before signing up.

The work drew on insights gleaned from The FA’s Inspiring Positive Change programme, which highlights that since England lifted the trophy last summer at Wembley Stadium in front of 87,000 fans, awareness of the Lionesses has increased by 32% across girls aged 5-16 in England, and there was a 196% increase in women’s and girls’ football session bookings through the England Football ‘FindFootball’ tool.

It might be a long four year wait for the next World Cup, but the opportunity to close the participation gap is not on hold until then.