How AI Imagined the Women's Soccer Teams that Brazil Never Had

Brazil is a country known for its passion and talent for soccer, but not many people are aware of the history of women's soccer in Brazil. For 40 years, from 1941 to 1983, Brazilian women were legally banned from playing the sport that they loved. The government issued a decree that stated, "Women shall not be allowed to engage in sports incompatible with the conditions of their nature." This oppressive law crushed the dreams and aspirations of generations of female athletes who wanted to represent their country on the world stage.

But what if things had been different? What if Brazilian women had been allowed to play soccer without any restrictions? What if they had formed national teams that competed in the Women's World Cups of 1959, 1963, and 1971? What would they have looked like? How would they have played? How would they have inspired future generations of girls and women?

These are the questions that Itaú Unibanco, a prominent sponsor of all Brazilian national soccer teams, tried to answer with its latest campaign, "Brazilian Teams that have never existed." The campaign, created by advertising agency GALERIA.ag, used artificial intelligence to generate images of the possible players and teams that could have represented Brazil in those tournaments. The AI was based on testimonies from former players, historians, sociologists, and specialists who helped describe women's soccer characteristics, styles, and emotions at the time. The result was a series of stunning portraits that celebrate the potential and diversity of Brazilian women's soccer.

The campaign also featured stories of some of the pioneers and legends of the sport, such as Iolanda, a player from Vespasiano who practiced soccer in hiding during the 60s; Dilma Mendes, a player from the 70s who became the most award-winning coach in the country; and Pretinha, a player from the 80s who was part of the first official Brazilian women's team along with Marta and Formiga. The campaign also received support from celebrities and influencers from the soccer world, such as Fernanda Gentil, Carol Barcelos, Formiga, former referee Fernanda Colombo, and national team player Camila.

The campaign aimed to honor the past, present, and future of women's soccer in Brazil and raise awareness about the challenges and barriers that female athletes still face today. It also wanted to show how soccer can be a powerful tool for social change and the empowerment of women. As Thaiza Akemi, Marketing Superintendent at Itaú Unibanco, said: "As official sponsors of all national teams, Itaú wants to do its part to give visibility to this past, bring forward this dialogue to more people, and empower future teams."

The campaign was launched during the FIFA Women's World Cup in 2023, which was a historic event for women's soccer. The tournament attracted record-breaking audiences and media coverage and increased support and recognition for the players and teams. Brazil reached the quarter-finals, where they lost to France in a thrilling match. Despite the defeat, the Brazilian team showed their talent, passion, and resilience on the field, proving that they are more than worthy of representing their country.

The campaign was also a success in terms of generating positive reactions and engagement from the public. The images and stories of the "Brazilian Teams that have never existed" were widely shared and commented on on social media platforms such as Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. Many people expressed their admiration and gratitude for the initiative, as well as their curiosity and interest in learning more about the history of women's soccer in Brazil. Some also shared their own stories and experiences with soccer as women or girls.

The campaign was a creative and innovative way of using AI to create an alternative reality that could have been possible if not for the discrimination and oppression that women faced in Brazil. It was also a way of honoring and celebrating the women who fought for their right to play soccer, as well as inspiring and empowering the women who continue to play today. It was a campaign that showed how AI could be used for entertainment or marketing purposes, social good, and cultural awareness. The campaign showed how soccer can be more than just a game; it can be a way of life.

Titles: It’s more than a World Cup

Client: Itaú Unibanco 

Product: Institutional

Campaign: 2023 Women’s World Cup

Agency: GALERIA.ag 

CCO: Rafael Urenha 

Creation Executive Direction: Rafael Caldeira and Phil Daijó

Creative Direction: Arthur Lobão, Bruno Zampoli, Caio Milanesi and Cris Albano

ACD: Mario Cintra

Heads of Design: Renan Monjon and Saulo Monjon

Creation: Guter Sá, Huanayra Alexandre, Júlia Pimentel, João Batista and Tawane Silva

Account: Ana Coutinho, Denise Vieira, Nathalia Chaves and Lucas Freitas

Itaú Approval: Eduardo Tracanella, Thaiza Akemi, Caroline Pintarelli, Caroline Paluan, Verônica Bortoloto and Eliza Bianchezi

Media: Paulo Ilha, Sofia Raucci, Pedro Santana, Nadia Araújo and Ana Beatriz de Carvalho

Strategy: Carol Mello and Marcela Leal

PR: Patricia Capuchinho, Mariana Novaes and Fernanda Gil

Social and influence: Fernando Sahb, Juliana Romano, Natalia Lessa 

and Thiago Almeida

Content Strategy: João Capusso and Gabriella Unger

Integrated Production: Ducha Lopes, Fabio Truci, Michelle Teixeira, Natalia Menken, Ana Ananias and Renata Silva

A.I Image Production: @theacidtimes and Huanayra Alexandre

 

Image Producer: FRAME

Executive Production: Eduardo Simon, Rafael Urenha, Ducha Lopes and Phil Daijó

Director: Cris Albano and Fernando Lenox

Photography Director: Fernando Lenox

1º AD: Fernanda Vieira de Castro

1º AC: Ricardo Angel Lima Pineiro

2º AD: Bruno Gabriel. Da Silva Pereira

DIT: José Luiz Lerma

Operator: Julio Becker

Stedcam Operator: Daniel Augusto Torquato de Santi

Direct Sound: Daniel Henrique Silva Dias

Sound Assistant: Kenny Kazuo Ishicava dos Santos

Art Director: Nicholas Andrew Kjaer da Fonseca Moura Reis

Stage Manager: Francisco Lopes de Souza

Make & Hair: Tatiana Chaves Santos

Costume Designer: Gabriela Clara da Fonseca

Production Director: Renato Marques

Base Production: Ana Moura

Production Assistant: Evantui de Jesus Moreira (Babu)

Production assistant: Caique Castro de Oliveira Lima

Production assistant: Alexandre Luiz da Silva

Production assistant: Thales Nocchi Lima

Electrician: Paulo Nunes

1 Electric assistant: Renato Lelis Oliveira de Souza

Eletric assistant: Juliano Areias dos Santos Pereira

Porter: Anderson de Souza Azevedo

Machinist: Claudio Soares dos Santos

1º Machinery assistant: Aliandro Zoti

2º Machinery assistant: Ygor Walter Wendt

Account: Felipe Ribeiro Correia

Account: Thatiane Karoline Ribeiro Correia

Cleaning: Michele Viana

Production car (WTC): Geovanni Bortolo

Camera Van car (WTC): Fhelipe Alan Assis da Silva

Electric truck and Machinery (Marquinhos): Marcos R. Sales Pereira

Electric Pickup and Machinery (Marquinhos): Valter

Art car (WTC): Ronaldo

Talent car (WTC): Renato Lopes

Talent car (WTC): Eduardo Virgilio

 

Post-production: FRAME

Executive production: Ducha Lopes

Montage: Estevan Schilling

Color: Sergio Cicinelli

Comp: Andre Toma 

Motion: Ebson Clarindo

Assistant: Andre dos Santos

Coordinator: Marillia Ramos

Head: Wilson Fernandes

 

Legal: Rosimeire Brito and Isabelle Versannio.

 

Audio Producer: CANJA

Account and Project Manager: Matheus Peres 

Account: Guga Costa

Project Manager: Ana Flor Bohrer, Flavia Medeiros

Musical Direction: Eduardo Karas, Lucas Sfair, Filipe Resende

Musical Supervision: Bruno Vieira Brixel 

Voice direction: Bruno Vieira Brixel 

Track: Érica Silva

Sound Design: Ardlez

Sound editor: Diego Zorrilla

Audio Production: Diego Zorrilla, Leonardo Lima