Forrest Chase and Trilogy celebrate the achievements of female athletes by inspiring women to believe they can play

In the year the FIFA Women’s World Cup comes to town, and in time for International Women’s Day 2023, Senior Marketing Manager at Forrest Chase Bronte Macpherson approached Trilogy with the idea to celebrate the achievements of women in sport and the inspiring female athletes of Western Australia.

The stats are dire when it comes to female representation in the sporting world – encompassing athletes and all career positions, especially those of seniority. And the underrepresentation of female sports by broadcast media in Australia is left wanting.

To bring awareness to women in sport, Forrest Chase teamed up with SportWest for this ambitious opportunity to put female sports and careers on the map. The creatives and strategists at Trilogy were briefed to develop a creative concept to bring the partnership to life.

Trilogy Strategist Lisa Thom, worked with Creative Director James Gillespie, to devise a multi-channelled community and brand-aligned promotion that aimed to inspire and motivate women and girls through interactive storytelling.

She said: “Our design needed to work to drive support for female sporting teams, careers, and history. So we leveraged our insights to create an innovative concept to do just this but, above all else, to drive awareness to gender equality”.

The result is ‘Girls Can Play’, a wall of fame dedicated to all those women in sport who started the journey, who achieved through adversity, and who continue to strive towards bigger and better goals. It provides an opportunity to be inspired by the women who followed their dreams, broke down barriers, and never gave up. Partnerships with Sportwest, Perth Scorchers, Perth Lynx, Netball WA and West Coast Fever make the campaign all the more meaningful and compelling.

Girls Can Play is an experiential, interactive wall of fame promoting women in sport to the thousands of people walking through the city via the expansive canvas that is Forrest Chase. Curated in collaboration with SportWest, it takes you on a journey to meet the faces behind three prominent West Australian female sports teams: Perth Scorchers, Perth Lynx and West Coast Fever.

Four engaging interactive window displays were developed by brand activators Mardie & Co. to represent four inspirational characteristics behind some of WA’s most inspiring female athletes: courage, strength, grit and passion.

Following a trail, people can see the activation in real time and explore the campaign concept live across the Forrest Chase facade, on socials, online and via impactful video content.

Thom added: “There are many layers to this initiative. Storytelling is so important in making an emotional and lasting connection. Social channels are used to complement the installation and tell curated stories of female sports stars through graphic quotes, and well produced small films highlight achievements and special moments”.

An on-site retail element involves Forrest Chase shoppers being in the running to win a family membership pack to Perth Scorchers, Perth Lynx and West Coast Fever games for the upcoming season.

In the leadup to International Women’s Day, Forrest Chase launched Girls Can Play at an event in the dwell zone of Forrest Chase, attended by invited sport dignitaries, female sports stars, stakeholders and media VIPs.

Macpherson said: “This was a fantastic way to highlight the contribution Forrest Chase is making through giving back to the community, contributing to inspiring women and young girls, and an ongoing commitment to increasing visitation to the city.”

Think girls can’t play? Think again.

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Credits
Client: Bronte Macpherson
Account Director: Nita Davey
Strategy: Lisa Thom
Creative Director: James Gillespie
Video Producer: Ryan Vergone
Social Media Lead: Rebekah Vinicombe