Guaraná Antarctica aces impactful sponsorships
🥤 How the Brazilian brand is raising the bar for women's football sponsorship
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Shall we jump into today’s post? I think it's safe to say this one became one of my favorites to craft. Enjoy!
I know it’s been a while, but I want to talk about something that happened at last year’s Balon d’Or (I know, I know. But bear with me.) that made me reflect on how different stakeholders approach women’s football now that it’s impossible to ignore.
The third edition of the Sócrates Award honored Jenni Hermoso for her pivotal role in the movement for better conditions in women’s football in Spain. It was undeniably powerful to see a woman win an award for promoting gender equality in sport—but let’s talk about the irony of that, considering the rest of the night.
Three award categories still have no women’s equivalent: the Yashin Trophy (best male goalkeeper), the Kopa Trophy (best men’s player under 21), and the Gerd Müller Trophy (striker of the year).
And then there was the scheduling. The ceremony took place during an international window for women’s football, meaning many nominees couldn’t even be there, including Emma Hayes, who won Best Women’s Coach. She put it best herself:
"I mean, it'd be like running an Oscars or a Golden Globes, without having any females present. It just wouldn't happen. I think for those players and coaches, it is the one industry moment they get recognized, and it's disappointing. I did speak to the organizers about it, and they said that that is something that will be changing in the future. Let's hope that is the case." - Emma Hayes
This is just one of many examples of the divided, hesitant support women’s football still receives. While we stand here (not still!) looking at the long road ahead of us, I wanted to look for inspiration from a trailblazer brand that has been doing things differently for years. Originally, this post was supposed to feature multiple brands, but I got stuck on the first one. So here’s a deep dive into how Guaraná Antarctica has been leading the way in supporting women’s football in Brazil.
The country of football & guaraná
This iconic Brazilian soft drink brand has been sponsoring the National Confederation (CBF) and National Team since 2001. I personally love this partnership because these are two elements deeply woven into Brazilian culture and day-to-day. A perfect match if there is one. Guaraná Antarctica activates this partnership with excellence, creating some of the most memorable advertising campaigns in the country. In recent years, the brand has gone even further, launching bold initiatives to promote women’s football in Brazil.
In a podcast chat, Pedro Thompson, then Marketing Director for Ambev/Guaraná Antarctica, explained that 2019 was the year the brand truly understood the financial importance of investing in women’s football. He made it clear to CBF that their goal wasn’t just to sponsor the sport but to use the platform to attract more brands to do the same. He says they understood that investment is fundamental to giving women’s football the visibility and recognition it deserves.
A playbook for impactful football sponsorship activation
In one of the most creative campaigns of the series, Guaraná Antarctica printed sexist comments about women’s football on seed paper, which was then planted and grew into a pitch for young girls participating in a local social project.
Then there was the time when Guaraná Antarctica joined a movement advocating for the inclusion of Brazilian women footballers in video games. The initiative aimed to highlight the absence of female players in major football games and push for greater representation. The campaign encouraged game developers to take action and ensure that female athletes receive the recognition they deserve in the digital space.
Another standout initiative was the #PresaNos80 (#StuckInThe80s) movement, which highlighted the stark inequality in investment between men’s and women’s football. At the time (2020), the funding for the women's game in Brazil was equivalent to what men’s football received in the 1980s. To amplify the message, Guaraná Antarctica brought back a vintage label design from that era and launched a Cannes-winning campaign featuring special actions with players, a powerful video spot, and a commitment to reinvest all sales proceeds into women’s football. You can watch the video case here.
My personal favorite might be the time Guaraná Antarctica turned its soda cans into an advertising platform. They pledged to feature the logos of brands that committed to supporting women’s football on 30 million cans—transforming their packaging into valuable media space. Nine brands got onboard, including Puma, Burger King, ESPN, Halls, and Lay’s, seizing the opportunity to align with the cause while gaining visibility.
Actions also included removing their branding from the advertising boards at Brasileirão Feminino A1 (Brazil’s top women’s league), replacing it with blank spaces reserved for future sponsors, and a direct call for brands to step up.
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