FIFA has announced Unilever personal care brands as official sponsors of the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup Australia & New Zealand. Unilever is a British corporation founded in 1929 and headquartered in London. The company is one of the largest manufacturers of products around the world.
Unilever manufactures household and textile care products, personal care and cosmetics, and produces food and other consumer goods, among others. The company made a gigantic turnover of 60.07 billion euros last year alone and is one of the most successful companies, with several subsidiaries such as the ice cream brand Ben&Jerrys.
Unilever becomes FIFA World Cup sponsor
The partnership will run into 2027 and includes the 2026 FIFA World Cup and the FIFAe Final. It is the first time FIFA has partnered with personal care brands in the women’s, men’s and FIFA Esport categories.
Our #Rexona, @Dove, @Lifebuoy and #LUX brands are Official Sponsors of the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023. ⚽
Together we will work on a range of initiatives to help accelerate the growth of women’s football globally.@FIFAWWC #FIFAWWC
Find out more here 👇🏽
— Unilever (@Unilever) May 12, 2023
The 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup will be the largest stand-alone women’s sporting event in the world, reaching an estimated 2 billion people. FIFA expects 1.5 million spectators to attend the tournament’s 64 matches.
Cooperation
Under the agreement, FIFA and Unilever will work with FIFA’s Women’s Development Program. This initiative was launched three years ago to provide opportunities for women and girls and support the continued growth of women’s soccer worldwide. Unilever will provide funding, human resources and support for tailored development programs to capitalize on the growing interest in women’s soccer.
Unilever has signed a multi-year deal with Fifa making personal care brands Rexona, Dove, Lifebuoy and Lux 'Official Sponsors' of this year's Women’s World Cup.
The sponsorship will run through to 2027 and also includes the men’s 2026 Fifa World Cup and the FIFAe Finals. pic.twitter.com/BKB0B8jMEV
— Jon Boafo (@JonBoafo) May 12, 2023
This is because women’s soccer has also become increasingly popular in recent years and is on the rise. Unilever is investing at all levels, from grassroots to FIFA’s top tournaments, and will distribute a total of 80,000 gift packs of personal care products directly to fans at various FIFA events in the coming years.
Women’s empowerment and gender equality efforts
“By working with the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup, our brands will connect with a huge and highly engaged audience,” said Fabian Garcia, personal care president at Unilever. “This is a significant opportunity for them to engage with a growing audience of women’s soccer fans, demonstrate relevance and build brand strength while promoting gender equality in sport and supporting future generations of female athletes,” Garcia added. “Unilever has some of the biggest and most influential consumer brands in the world and we are delighted that they will be joining us on our journey to Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand,” said Fatma Samoura, FIFA Secretary General. “2023 will be a landmark year for women’s soccer, and Unilever is the ideal sponsor to help us promote the game around the world – this year and beyond.”