Courage also produced a minute-long video that ran before the match featuring several of the girls expressing to Sinclair how she inspires them both in play and in life. The partners also staged an emotional “12th Minute Takeover” in honor of “Captain Canada’s” now iconic jersey number, where fans were prompted by the stadium’s digital screens to stand and cheer for Sinclair, who was visibly moved by the celebrations.
The onsite tribute video, a teaser released before the game alerting fans to the send-off, and the summary video recapping the night, can be found on CIBC and Canada Soccer’s socials in support of the campaign.
“We were asked to create work that celebrates Christine’s career and legacy,” Cindy Marie Navarro, creative director at Courage, told Adweek. “The legacy that she’s leaving behind is creating an equitable game. But not just that, she’s inspiring the next generation of players. And, more than that, female players.”
Navarro told Adweek the work, which she calls “an amazing creative team effort,” took a month-and-a-half to produce once Sinclair’s retirement was officially announced, requiring quick movement from all the partners. The team worked with Canada Soccer to select the girls, sifting through hundreds of submissions of eager fans, players and future leaders hoping for a chance to meet their idol.
And while she admits the team and the client were thrilled with the success of the campaign and the impact they have made as a result on the lives of an up-and-coming generation, they ultimately hope that impact is far more reaching, giving the reserved Sinclair the kind of career recognition enjoyed by her more famous peers.
“Part of the thinking behind the work, and part of the brief was the acknowledgment that Christine is underappreciated in the game,” said Navarro. “We don’t want her to feel underappreciated … because she definitely is not.”
