"Footballers Kiss" in Soccer Video Game in Response to Qatar's Anti-LGBTQI+Policies

Nov. 30, 2022

The World Cup 2022 tournament organised by FIFA in Qatar is proving to be highly controversial. Due to Qatari policies that contravene LGBTQI+ human rights causing global controversy during the World Cup numerous brands and activists have joined forces to make this problem visible through social actions.

Faced with this situation, the advertising agency Serviceplan House of Communication Spain, together with COGAM, the Madrid-based NGO founded in 1986 in favour of the collective, have created #LoveWinsQatar, a social movement with the aim of calling on gamers around the world to share images of love between footballers during virtual matches.

Serviceplan House of Communication Spain creative team commented:

"In football video games it sometimes happens that players kiss, hug, hold hands. There are even glitches that can simulate displays of affection. That's where the idea came from. If you can't show love on the real playing field, let's do it on the virtual playing field."

 

Join the the fight for love and respect with #LoveWinsQatar.

The mechanics of joining this movement are very simple:

• Score a goal.
• Direct your player close to another.
• Capture the image.
• Share it with #LoveWinsQatar.

Emilio Valverde, Executive Creative Director of Serviceplan House of Communication Spain said:

"This is one of those absolutely necessary campaigns, born as a reaction to something unjust: Qatar does not respect basic human rights, in particular those of the LGBT+ community. And to give voice and spread to this initiative, we wanted to do it through a community, the gamer community, committed, supportive, and with a huge amount of influence. Hopefully the message will resonate around the world". 

 

Carmen Garcia de Merlo, spokesperson for COGAM said:

"We encourage people to make our reality visible for our rights, for our wellbeing in a fairer society in equality and diversity. With this initiative, we will help to break down discrimination against LGTB+ people." 

 

The campaign has been amplified and adapted into 5 different languages: Spanish, English, Portuguese, German and Polish, in order to reach all corners of the globe.

Other associations have supported the cause such as the Brazilian foundation Aliança Nacional LGBTI+, Federación Argentina LGBT and the Polish studio Game-Changer.