EE has launched a new campaign, which went live hours after England clinched a historic second consecutive European win.

As the Lionesses were crowned champions of Europe for the second successive tournament, EE launched a reactive out of home spot celebrating the togetherness of the squad and the confidence this victory brings young girls both on and off the pitch.

The uplifting out of home spot, created by Saatchi & Saatchi, went live across England just hours after the final whistle and featured the strapline: ‘When this squad wins, we all win.”

The execution successfully reinforces EE’s commitment to helping girls build confidence on and off the pitch with the nationwide ‘Everyone Needs a Squad’ campaign. 

The campaign, which launched at the start of the tournament, is designed to spotlight the role football can play in boosting confidence, resilience and belonging for teenage girls across the UK.

The creative is rooted in research from EE in partnership with leading child and adolescent psychologist Dr Sheila Redfern PhD which that found 93% of girls aged between 13-18 who play or watch football say the sport gives them more confidence (93%) and a feeling of belonging (69%) and positivity (57%).

Every time you play you change the game

The legacy of another historic Lioness victory will likely reverberate for years to come. The victory makes the team the first England Senior team in history to win a tournament overseas. 

The team’s previous Euros victory on the pitch in 2022 was matched with an incredible victory off the pitch, with the team successfully campaigning to pave the way for girls across the country to have more access to sport.

Looking back on the impact of the first historic victory the mantra ‘if you cannot see it you cannot be it’ holds true. According to data from YouGov the number of girls actively participating in football has continued to flourish with nearly one in three (32%) girls aged between 6-17 years old having played the sport in the last year. And England’s performance in this summer’s tournament is set to have another positive impact for young girls across the country, something that has been reflected in the levels of engagement with EE’s ‘Everyone Needs a Squad’ campaign.

Throughout the tournament, EE has launched a series of activations including social media activity. This has included content that addresses how ‘glow up’ videos on social media can impact girls’ confidence. 

To flip the tropes, ‘Get Ready With Me’ content was shared across TikTok and Instagram which showed creators getting football ready, throwing on their football shirts and meeting up with their squads.

Kelly Engstrom, Brand & Demand Generation Director at EE, explained: “Congratulations to the Lionesses on their well-deserved win. As lead partner of the Home Nations Football Associations, we’re incredibly proud of the team and everything they’ve achieved – not just in this tournament, but in continuing to inspire the next generation of football fans.”

She continued: “The team’s confidence, resilience, unity and passion on and off the pitch perfectly reflect what our Everyone Needs a Squad campaign is all about. Through this campaign, we’ve championed the role football can play in building confidence and belonging and shown that with the right support behind you – on or offline – anything is possible.”

The once in a generation excitement surrounding this historic England team underlines that now is the perfect time to rip up the rulebook when it comes to marketing women’s sports. The Euros may be over, but with a summer of sporting firsts still on the horizon, all eyes are on the brands successfully getting off the sidelines.