How Orange used AI to challenge gender stereotypes in soccer

4 min readNov 20, 2023

Orange, the French telecom service, has recently created a viral video that showcases the skills and talents of the women’s soccer team, Les Bleues, in a clever and innovative way. The video, which was released in June 2023, ahead of the FIFA Women’s World Cup, uses artificial intelligence to swap the faces of the male players, Les Bleus, with the female ones, creating a stunning illusion that challenges the viewers’ perceptions and expectations.

Credit: Screenshot from Orange video campaign — Marcel Agency

The story of Orange

Orange is one of the leading telecom operators in the world, with over 260 million customers in 26 countries. The company was founded in 1988 as France Télécom, and rebranded as Orange in 2013. Orange offers a range of services, including mobile, internet, TV, and cloud computing. Orange is also a major sponsor of sports and culture, supporting events such as the Cannes Film Festival, the Roland-Garros tennis tournament, and the Tour de France cycling race. Orange has been a partner of the French Football Federation since 1998, and has supported both the men’s and women’s national teams, as well as the amateur leagues and clubs.

What they did

Orange wanted to create a video that would celebrate the women’s soccer team, Les Bleues, and promote their participation in the FIFA Women’s World Cup, which was held in Australia and New Zealand from July 20 to August 20, 2023. The video, titled “La Compil des Bleues” (The Blues Compilation), was created by the advertising agency Marcel, using their artificial intelligence tool, Marcel. The video features clips of exciting and impressive soccer moments, such as dribbling, passing, shooting, and scoring, accompanied by enthusiastic commentary and cheering. The video appears to show the male players, Les Bleus, performing these actions, but halfway through, the video reveals that the faces of the male players have been replaced by the faces of the female players, Les Bleues, using deepfake technology. The video then shows how the visual effects were achieved, and ends with a message of support for the women’s team: “At Orange, when we support Les Bleus, we support Les Bleues.”

Credit: Marcel Agency for Orange

The marketing strategy behind this action

The video was a smart and creative way to highlight the skills and talents of the women’s soccer team, and to challenge the gender stereotypes and prejudices that often plague women’s sports. The video aimed to achieve the following objectives:

To generate buzz and awareness for the women’s soccer team and the FIFA Women’s World Cup, and to encourage more people to watch and support the women’s games.
To showcase the partnership and commitment of Orange to both the men’s and women’s soccer teams, and to demonstrate their values of diversity and inclusion.
To leverage the popularity and recognition of the male players, Les Bleus, who had won the FIFA World Cup in 2018, and to use their influence to boost the visibility and credibility of the female players, Les Bleues.
To create a positive and emotional connection with the viewers, by surprising them with the twist and making them question their assumptions and biases.
To use artificial intelligence and deepfake technology as a creative and innovative tool, rather than a malicious or deceptive one, and to show the potential and possibilities of these technologies for marketing and communication purposes.

The result of it

The video was a huge success, both online and offline. The video was posted on YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok, and received millions of views, likes, comments, and shares. The video also generated a lot of media coverage and attention, both in France and internationally, and was featured on various news outlets, such as TIME, CNN, SBS, and SELF. The video also sparked a lot of discussion and debate among the viewers, who praised the video for its message and execution, and also shared their opinions and experiences on women’s sports and gender equality. The video also helped to increase the interest and engagement for the women’s soccer team and the FIFA Women’s World Cup, and to attract more fans and viewers for the women’s games.

The moral of the story

The video by Orange and Marcel was a brilliant example of how marketing, communication, branding, innovation, creativity, and advertising can work together to create a powerful and impactful campaign that can challenge the status quo and make a difference. The video showed that women’s soccer can be just as exciting, thrilling, and entertaining as men’s soccer, and that women’s sports deserve more respect, recognition, and support. The video also showed that artificial intelligence and deepfake technology can be used for good, and that they can offer new and creative ways to tell stories and to connect with audiences. The video was a reminder that soccer is soccer, sport is sport, and that gender should not matter when it comes to enjoying and celebrating the beautiful game.

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