Pony Malta and agency MullenLowe SSP3 “hacked” FIFA 21 to create the squad, building female forms based on existing male avatars
AB InBev‘s Pony Malta and MullenLowe SSP3 have ‘hacked’ FIFA 21 to create the first all-female club, SHE F.C., to make one of the most popular games in the world be more inclusive.
FIFA 21’s Pro Clubs and Career modes don’t allow users to create female teams. So, how did SHE F.C., an all-female club, find its way into the uber-popular video game?
AB InBev’s non-alcoholic Pony Malta and agency MullenLowe SSP3 “hacked” FIFA 21 to create the squad, building female forms based on existing male avatars, as you’ll see in their latest spot.
In the actual game, only men—in avatar form—can make “careers” out of playing the game, moving amongst famous teams and participating in big international tournaments. The She F.C. hack opens up such opportunities to women (in a virtual sense, at least).
“When we found the problem inside the game, we knew we needed to do something about it,” says agency creative chief Carlos Andrés Rodríguez. “She F.C is a way to give girls and women to have the place they deserve in the game: the opportunity to play for big clubs and win worldwide tournaments.”
To drive home the message of inclusion, Latin American gamers and players from the Colombia Women’s National Football Team played a live game on 12 December in She F.C. mode. Plus, Pony Malta invites folks to sign this Change.org petition, asking FIFA to make the game more gender-inclusive across all levels of play. (It does feature women’s teams, but not in the Pro Clubs and Career modes.)
“The essence of Pony Malta is to inspire teens to reach the best version of themselves,” says Juan Alonso Torres, ABInBev’s marketing director of non-alcoholic beverages in Colombia. “To do that, we need to create safe environments for them, with equal opportunities for both men and women. She F.C. is a call to FIFA to help girls and women feel identified and represented, and we hope people will join the movement.”
