Johnnie Walker celebrates strides in women’s football

Partners of the AFLW (Australian Football League Women's), whiskey brand Johnnie Walker has collaborated with Leo Burnett to launch this touching campaign, titled Keep Walking Boldly, championing the trailblazing icons of women’s football. 

Directed by Good Oil’s’ Renée Mao, the campaign follows the creation of five one-of-a-kind pairs of footie boots, handcrafted from the shoes of iconic players who paved the way for the athletes of today. The boots were then gifted to current players, representing the resilience, courage and bravery of the women who have walked before them. 

Thoughtfully splicing together touching interview footage with moving montages of historical moments, the film features sporting heroes like Debbie Lee and Erin Phillips, who talk about their experience growing up playing a game that was never ‘meant for them.’ It was shot on location in Sydney and Melbourne and uses never-before-seen archival footage.

Rosie Stone & Stacey Karayannis, Associate Creative Directors Leo Burnett, added: “When we look at the pages of sporting history, we seem only to acknowledge the giants of the game – the top scorers, the record-breakers, the superstars. What’s rarely recognised, though, is the incredible strength and decades of determination it takes to get women’s sport onto the field in the first place. With the AFLW still in its professional infancy and with so much progress to be made, we wanted to celebrate the wins we’ve had along the way and shine a light on the women who walked the game to where it is today.”