Drawn to Equality is testament to the big impact even the tiniest change can have. The ripples that a simple idea, seeded in the right place, can create.

Visa stands for making a positive and transformational impact on the world, with the long-term goal to make women’s football accepted equally, everywhere. It was the first brand to sponsor women’s football globally. Every year, it aims to enhance its deep commitment to the women’s game, bringing greater equality and visibility to the sport. In 2024, Visa endorsed the Portuguese Women's Football League for the first time. Our brief was to announce Visa’s new endorsements and ensure representation for millions of female athletes and fans.

We wanted to do more than create a bubble of inclusivity. We wanted to take the fight for gender equality to the heart of male culture and those most resistant to it.

Portugal’s sports culture remains fiercely conservative, a narrative often perpetuated by sports newspapers. There is a famous cartoon in the top sports newspaper in Portugal, “A Bola”, that has remained unchanged for decades. Created by journalist and artist Luis Afonso in 1990, it is the oldest comic strip in Portugal. Still running today, and in editions distributed in Africa and the US, the iconic barbershop cartoon is well-known to all for its satirical football commentary. It features a male barber talking to a male client about the game and recent sports events. It’s been read by millions, day after day, for 34 years.

Our creative idea was to introduce the first female character to the cartoon. And for Visa to be her sponsor. It was a small change, but a big ask for the cartoonist, publisher and readers.

The simplicity and subversiveness of this campaign is what sets it apart. Our small but mighty female barber, discussing football alongside and equal to men sparked conversations nationwide, provoking strong reactions on both sides and made millions of football-loving women – players and fans - feel represented. Women were finally seen and heard, alongside men, equal to them.

"Something so small made me feel so represented. This is true representation. So important.” Filipa Galrão (journalist and radio host)

 "Things are evolving, it’s good to see.” - Kika Nazareth (pro football player)

"A powerful tool for women’s football advocacy. We are sure this is going to amplify the sport even more.” - Fernando Gomes (president of the football federation)

In a country of only 10m people, within a month, the campaign reached 3.2m Portuguese, and generated c.1.6m Euros in earned media, spanning newspaper circulation, website visits, TV programs, and social media shares.

Most importantly, the editorial board of "A Bola" and the artist have confirmed that the character will become permanent and live beyond Visa’s sponsorship, whenever that day comes.  

Daniel Palma, “A Bola” Head of Brand said: "This inclusion was warmly embraced, and we anticipate a ripple effect in other traditional sports media."

With this commitment, together with Visa, we are making a powerful paradigm shift towards equality.