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Football dreams take flight,
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Football Australia, Ogilvy tap AI podcast to engage kids in Matilda's Paris Olympics campaign
Football Australia has teamed up with Ogilvy to create a new AI-powered podcast series to tell the story of the Matilda's Paris 2024 campaign to young fans.
Titled 'Dream Team', the series is inspired by AI and children's books, aiming to increase the popularity and participation of football among the next generation.
Each 'Dream Team' story will be written in real time during and immediately after the match, with each episode being released later that day on Spotify and Apple Podcasts. Ogilvy is responsible for the creative idea, illustration, writing, AI build, and asset rollout of the 'Dream Team' project.
"The Dream Team series is a groundbreaking initiative that underscores our commitment to connecting with the next generation of football fans. By blending the excitement of the Matildas’ Olympic journey with the magic of storytelling, we hope to inspire young Australians to dream big and engage with the beautiful game," said CEO of Football Australia, James Johnson. "Partnering with Ogilvy on this project has been an incredible experience. Their creative expertise, combined with our shared passion for football, has resulted in a series that is not only entertaining but also educational. We believe this collaboration will leave a lasting impact on the sport and help cultivate a lifelong love for football among young Australians."
The Matildas will commence their Paris 2024 Olympic Games campaign against Germany at 3.00am AEST on 25 July. All of Australia’s three group stage matches during the Games kick-off at 3.00am AEST, making it difficult for young fans to watch the games live. The 'Dream Team Storytime' series will allow fans of all ages to listen to Matildas’ captain Steph Catley narrate the story of the match which occurred while they were asleep.
Football Australia is also working with Hillary Badger, a published author of over 20 books for young readers and the Executive Creative Director at Ogilvy Melbourne, on the 'Dream Team' project.
"The Matildas are Australia’s most loved sporting team, and they made a huge impact culturally during the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup. Football Australia and Ogilvy captured the team’s never-say-die attitude with the ‘Til It’s Done’ campaign, which the whole nation adopted. The Matildas really symbolise a celebration of women’s sporting achievements that was long overdue," said Executive Creative Director, Ogilvy Melbourne, Hillary Badger. "The Dream Team series answers that creative challenge. Matildas games will be written up in the form of children’s stories, ready to be downloaded and listened to only hours after each match concludes. Kids don’t need to miss out on the inspiration that the Matildas will provide during their Paris campaign."