France’s Women’s World Cup advert makes powerful gender statement with unexpected twist

A powerful advertisement starring the French women’s football team, with an unexpected twist, has been released ahead of the World Cup.

French telecommunications corporation giant Orange, which sponsors the French women’s team, has produced the advert.

It appears to be celebrating the skills of men’s team stars such as Kylian Mbappe, until a message reads: “Only Les Bleus can give us these emotions. But that’s not them you’ve just seen” and the VFX trickery is revealed.

The campaign is aimed at changing perceptions of women’s sports.