Ad of the Day: You’ll never guess Orange France’s World Cup plot twist

To combat the gender bias in the sport, particularly around major tournaments, the French division of telecoms giant Orange has worked with Publicis Groupe’s Marcel to launch a campaign that challenges people’s perceptions starring French national team stars Kylian Mbappe and Antoine Griezmann (sort of.)

What begins as a sizzle reel of stand-out moments by the players is later turned on its head after a message reads, “Only Les Bleus can give us these emotions. But that’s not them you’ve just seen.”

• Watch the best Women's World Cup Ads so far

The footage is then rewound to reveal its been subject to VFX editing, with Mbappe and Griezmann’s personas concealing the identities of Les Bleues women’s players, including Sakina Karchaoui and Selma Bacha.

The message then continues at the end of the video, changing the final word from Bleus to Bleues to reference the women’s team.

Fans and marketers alike have been raving about the ad, calling it one of the best sports ads ever. Others have also hailed it for its use of visual effects, holding it up as an example of creative uses for new technologies.

WOW https://t.co/0i6fQ4of8H

— cindygallop.eth (@cindygallop) July 14, 2023

I think France’s Women’s World Cup ad might be one of the best I’ve ever seen. It also makes me super excited for the creative possibilities that new tech will bring ads. Definitely check it out if you haven’t.https://t.co/hbLUztV2qw — Emily Martin (@heyemilymartin) July 16, 2023