Lucia González Vega |
Madrid (EFE).- The women’s Atlético de Madrid. Winners of the 2023 Copa de la Reina. Their image covers the Plaza Castilla Metro station in Madrid, one of the busiest in the city. They are seen by more than 140,000 people a day. They are benchmarks for the new generations. The Atlético de Madrid players: Ludmila, Rasheedat Ajibade, Leicy Santos and Estefanía Banini, together with their mothers, chosen as a symbol of the club in a new campaign that promotes the motto: “Courage and Heart”.
The rojiblancas soccer players who are part of the advertisement, coming from other continents -America and Africa-, illustrate Atlético de Madrid. They reflect the effort and commitment they put in every day, away from their families, to fulfill their dreams. And, in addition, they do not forget about them and help them from Spain financially.
Ria Money Transfer, one of the leading companies in the money transfer industry, has been one of Atlético de Madrid’s sponsors since 2019 and both entities have a contract until 2024. Since then, the brand’s logo has been on the back of the shirt of the Madrid club, both female and male, and now promote the sponsorship of the Copa de la Reina champions.
The campaign was launched on May 8, on the occasion of Mother’s Day, and began with the publication of a video on YouTube in which the players were surprised by their mothers, who traveled from their respective countries, recording a advertisement. Some of them had never been on a plane before, but they did so to learn about their daughters’ life in Spain.
“It is a small recognition of the great work that mothers do. For many migrants, this day symbolizes an opportunity to get closer to their mothers despite the distance,” Rafael Castillo, the company’s sponsorship manager, told EFE.
Two days later, the walls of the Plaza Castilla metro station, one of the busiest in Madrid, were covered with photographs of that reunion. The campaign will end on June 8, and is estimated to be viewed by more than two and a half million people, creating an exponential impact on one of the world’s leading large international money transfer companies. The campaign ends on the eve of the start of the Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand.
Ludmila, Brazilian, Rasheedat Ajibade, Nigerian, Leicy Santos, Colombian, and the Argentinean star in the final of the Queen’s Cup, Estefanía Banini, were selected by the club and the sponsor. “There are four players far from our country, from other continents who could give them a plus knowing the history of each one,” Lola Romero, the general director of Atlético de Madrid Femenino, explained to EFE.
“They seemed to us the most strategic partner for this action. It was like bridging bridges between different continents and arousing emotion. We both have that synergy of uniting bridges, ties and families. We managed to hit the hearts of the athletic fans and make them see the reality of these players”, added Romero.
Ludmila was raised in the favela and admitted to an orphanage after being abandoned by her parents, who had alcohol problems. She was raised by her aunt and her soccer made him dodge her addiction.
Rasheedat Ajibade, grew up without a father and in a family with 5 siblings. A situation that forced her to help her mother in her family finances during her life in Nigeria. Leicy Santos, she started playing soccer barefoot because she didn’t have shoes to play. Her parents moved with her to Bogotá to pursue her dream and they needed her. Banini’s family, for her part, had not had the opportunity to learn about the player’s life in Spain.
Now, in addition to being key figures in the team, they are also a reference for all the girls and boys who want to be soccer players. They have shown that dreams come true with effort, basing their philosophy of life on one of the main mottos of Atlético de Madrid: “Courage and Heart”.