Empowering amateur football clubs with creativity on and off the pitch

Empowering amateur football clubs with creativity on and off the pitch

With the Adobe Women's FA Cup well underway, and our second season as the lead sponsor, I can't help but feel a surge of excitement as the competition unfolds. The thought of an amateur team being drawn against one of the biggest clubs in the country makes this prestigious competition so spectacular and it's one of the many reasons why I first fell in love with football - anyone can win.

Our multi-year agreement with The Football Association brought together two of my biggest passions, championing Adobe's mission for Creativity for All so everyone can share their stories with the world, and my love for football. Since 2019, the competition has seen a 70 percent increase in participation - a massive achievement reflecting the huge progress and growth of the competition from when it was first established in 1971.

From the start, our goal was simple, to support clubs at all levels - from amateur to elite - and to spread the magic of the women's game to as many people as possible. To learn how best we could support clubs participating in the competition, we asked them about the challenges they faced in the content creation process. We learned that a lack of personnel and reliance on volunteers are among their biggest barriers and that social media accounts are run by volunteers who have other responsibilities.

We therefore immediately gave all clubs complimentary access to Adobe Express Premium plans so anyone creating content could use the app to promote club matches throughout the season, as well as produce any content they need for marketing and social channels.

As we prepare to see some knockout football, we're proud to extend our support to amateur clubs by becoming lead partner for the independent and culturally rich club, Camden Town Women's Football Club (WFC).

Camden Town WFC: Kit and creative caboodle

Camden Town WFC is based in an iconic part of London, core to the UK creative industries and just a stone's throw away from our London Shoreditch office. We'll be working with the team to make them a creative powerhouse, helping them achieve their ambitions on and off the pitch, which includes creating new pathways for women and girls into football.

We'll be doing this by supporting the team in several ways and one of the most exciting is the redesign of their kits. Despite the growth of women's sport in recent years, many women's amateur football clubs don't have access to, or the funds available, to design and purchase kits made for the needs of women players. To tackle this head-on and ensure the team was ready for the start of the Adobe Women's FA Cup, we partnered with VERSUS, a media platform championing the future of football and Creative Director, Hattie Crowther to redesign the club's kit and crest.

VERSUS followed the process of the club's kit redesign (coming soon to Instagram and TikTok) which will show the process Hattie followed to consult players to ensure the new kits not only looked great but were also optimised with performance and comfort in mind. Alessia Russo, Adobe Ambassador and Arsenal striker, also made a special appearance during the kit reveal! Fans who turned out yesterday to cheer the team on would have watched the club take on Bexhill United, winning an incredible 9-0 in the first-round qualifiers.

Camden Town WFC's new kits now include additional ventilation panels and ample space under the shirt for players to wear sports bras, which most existing off-the-shelf football apparel don't allow. Additionally, it was critical for the team that the kits reflected the importance they placed on togetherness with words such as Sisterhood, Belonging, and Progress etched into the design. This also reinforces the club's deep connection to its local community.

Hattie used Adobe Express and Adobe Stock to craft a dynamic mood board and collaborate with the club to bring their vision to life, before transitioning into Adobe Photoshop, using its power and precision to create the intricate patterns and mock-ups needed to move the kits into production.

To further support the team, we're providing access to and training on Adobe Express, and have worked with the club's social media manager, Sophia Demetriades, who volunteers in her spare time, to create a new Brand Kit that allows both herself and anyone else creating content for the club to maintain a strong and cohesive visual identity across all marketing platforms. This will make it quick and easy for the team to create and schedule social media posts and complete tasks such as developing monthly newsletters, both essential in keeping fans and alumni updated on the latest news from the team.

Today also marks the start of our Adobe Express online workshops for all 514 clubs taking part in the competition. Hosted by Luton Town player, Elly Wade and featuring Lioness & Manchester City star, Khiara Keating, the workshops will similarly give all participating clubs the opportunity to learn how to create consistent, high-quality content with ease and efficiency across all marketing and social media channels - from match-day programmes to Instagram reels celebrating victories.

As we head deeper into the competition, I can't wait to see the impact of our partnership with The FA on clubs across the country. The excitement around this tournament is palpable, and its ability to not just change the fortunes of clubs, but to drive the growth of the game is what makes it remarkable.

Quality content for a quality competition

The skill level of the clubs participating in the Adobe Women's FA Cup is exceptional. When you think about the number of amateur players who have full-time jobs, alongside training and playing, as well as taking responsibility for creating content, to promote match day fixtures and results to drive fan engagement, it demonstrates what hard work, dedication and passion they each embody.

It's for this reason and everything else shared that I am so proud of our new partnership with Camden Town WFC.

I hope that alongside helping the club grow and meet its ambitions, we'll also be able to inspire a new generation of girls and women to fulfil their dreams. There couldn't be a better start to any season - let's watch the magic unfold.

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