Adidas Builds World’s First Soccer Field With A Gender
Image via Havas Middle East
For decades, cultural norms in many Arab countries have discouraged young girls from participating in sports. This societal pressure often leads to a disheartening statistic: an average of 73% of Arab girls abandon sports by the age of 14. In 2023, Adidas partnered with advertising agency Havas Middle East to create the Female Field, aimed at dismantling these barriers and inspiring a new generation of female athletes.
This is the world’s first soccer pitch assigned with a gender, but the real kicker lies in its use of the Arabic language. Many Arabic words associated with sports—“ball,” “run,” “kick,” “jump,” “goal”—are grammatically feminine. The “Ta’Marbuta,” a letter resembling a circle with two dots above, is responsible for this feminine designation.
Image via Havas Middle East
Taking inspiration from this linguistic quirk, Adidas transformed sports fields across Dubai. The center circle, a focal point on any playing field, was adorned with two tiny dots, a simple, symbolic switch that effectively turned these spaces into “Female Fields” challenging the traditional perception of sports being a male domain.
Image via Havas Middle East
Resonating far beyond the playing field, the Female Field inspired the creation of similar arenas by Adidas, including basketball courts and ice hockey rinks. It’s a goal in our playbooks!
Image via Havas Middle East
[via Ad Age, Love The Work, Arab Ad Online, images via Havas Middle East]
