Rexona Deodorant Uses AI to Launch Future Stars of Women's Football

Despite the advances of gender inclusion in sports in recent years, there is still a lot to achieve when it comes to equity in women's football. From an early age, girls don't feel welcome on the pitch due to issues such as prejudice, lack of proper spaces to play, or even the burden of domestic responsibilities.

With the purpose of inspiring girls to continue breaking limits and having the confidence to work towards their dream of becoming professional players, Rexona has used artificial intelligence to create the Album of the Future. This launch announces the brand's newest commitment, that together with FIFA, will help to get more girls to play football.

The Album of the Future projects onto stickers what the faces of girls between the ages of seven and 16 will look like in the future, so that they can visualise themselves and believe in the dream of becoming the stars of tomorrow. The girls portrayed in the album are part of the Breaking Limits Programme which empowers young people in vulnerable situations, promoting and celebrating all kinds of movement regardless of race, gender, or ability.

Unilever Brazil Personal Care lead, Poliana Sousa, highlights the album's power to boost the confidence of girls in sports who deal with taboos and prejudices in the physical activities that they practice.

“We use artificial intelligence as a support tool to show the girls that the dream of becoming future stars in Brazil is indeed possible. Being a football player is a path full of barriers for women. And this album is a symbol that Rexona will support the new generations, breaking these barriers and making them confident in the pursuit of their dreams.”

To capture the girls' image and project their faces into the future, Rexona held a match between them with a photography session at the end. The game was just a pretext for making the Album of the Future possible, which would later be delivered as a surprise to them. From current photos captured of the girls, the technology created personalised projections of what their faces would look like in the future when they are old enough to compete in major championships.

The album was delivered to the girls through a surprise special message from Tamires Cassia Dias Gomes, Rexona ambassador who defended Brazil in the FIFA Women's World Cup 2023, which was captured in a film with their coaches and family members who continue to support their dreams.

As part of the brand's campaign, three girls from the Album of The Future were selected to travel to Australia for the FIFA Women's World Cup 2023, an event sponsored by Rexona. The trip aimed to inspire the girls to remain confident in pursuing their dream of one day becoming professional football players, offering them the chance to watch two live Brazil matches and tour the stadiums. To further amplify the impact and inspire girls from all over Brazil, their experience in Australia was shared in a travel diary vlog on the brand's TikTok.