Overview
As part of their first CSR campaign, Paddy Power were eager to highlight homophobia in football. They employed Heavyweight Sport to help strategically guide them through a myriad of football politics whilst maximising the campaign. The Right Behind Gay Footballers #RBGF campaign climaxed on 16th September 2013 and encouraged professional footballers across the nation to show their support for the initiative by wearing rainbow laces in their boots. The Rainbow Laces campaign is now a part of the football calendar
The Challenge
Paddy Power were struggling to get cut through and credibility . Heavyweight suggested that Paddy Power partner Stonewall for the initiative. Our business helped to introduce this unlikely marriage between an Irish bookies and a gay rights charity, ensuring that the partnership would blossom. Without official backing from The Premier League and the FA, we knew the first Rainbow Laces campaign would face obstacles.
The Solution
We set to work speaking with footballers, pundits, former sportsmen and high-profile celebrities to create a wave of social media support for rainbow laces. And in doing so, we would circumvent obstacles that would come our way. We encouraged numerous footballers, managers, backroom staff, boxers, actors, pundits and celebrities to publicly back the campaign. Some clubs said they couldn’t officially support the #RBGF campaign, but their players and fans did! The campaign was an overwhelming success. Working collaboratively with Paddy Power and its creative agency enabled Heavyweight Sport to help put this important issue right back on football's agenda. We were proud and honoured to be an integral part of such an important and relevant campaign amd the Rainbow Laces is now an integrated and official part of the football calendar.
