Can Amstel Malta and Super Falcons relationship inspire positive change through brand campaigns?

Truth be told, many Nigerians do not pay much attention to female football, even with the Super Falcons being the most successful Nigerian football team ever – as an 11-time Africa Women Cup of Nations (AWCON) winner and nine appearances in the FIFA Women’s World Cup.

When the Super Falcons left for France to participate in the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup, only a few people were interested or enthusiastic. This had been the case for so many years, with little support given to the Nigerian national female football team.

This year, Amstel Malta took a massive step by launching the #WeGotBalls Campaign. We all saw the inspiring advertising with Asisat Oshoala, Tiwa Savage, Linda Ejiofor, Big Brother Nigeria star, Cee-Cee and other members of the Super Falcon’s football team, clearly with the intent to celebrate the strength, talent and professionalism of the Super Falcons. The brand followed that with a pledge for the team, driven with the #Naija4Falcons pledge.

The pledge was quite simple and also important – fans were required to visit the Amstel Malta pledge website site and pledge to support the Super Falcons. And with every pledge, Amstel Malta donates 5 Naira to the Super Falcons.

Can Amstel Malta and Super Falcons relationship inspire positive change through brand campaigns? Pulse Nigeria

Obviously, the campaign was meant to achieve two objectives – more than just pledging to provide the needed and much-deserved accolades in recognition of the exploits and achievements for the team, it opened up conversations about the lack of support for female footballers and drove actual engagement during the matches.

Nigeria’s dominance in women’s football on the continent has never been in doubt, with stellar performances in the African Women Championships, the WAFU Cup, the Under-20 Women’s World Cup and other competitions, many Nigerians are now actually paying attention to the success of the team following the launch of the #WeGotBalls campaign.

One of the hashtags, #Naija4Falcons has over 5 million reaches on social media and more than 20 million impressions. People followed the matches and gave minute-by-minute commentary, something that had not been witnessed to such degree in female football. With Amstel Malta involved this time, celebrities and influencers rose to the occasion and lent their voices to the cause.

Can Amstel Malta and Super Falcons relationship inspire positive change through brand campaigns? Pulse Nigeria

Yes, the girls exited the tournament in the second round, but are we proud of the way they played? Do we all feel that they should be celebrated just like their male counterparts? Of course! However, there is no better way to inspire the team to a global success than to show our consistent support for the Super Falcons. Amstel Malta has laid an excellent example, Nigerians - and more importantly, other corporate organizations need to continuously stand solidly behind the team and celebrate their efforts.

The Super Falcons, with the support of Amstel Malta, has created a commendable opportunity to inspire, empower and enable the next generation of women and girls dreaming to play professional football. Others should join them to sustain this narrative.