Mercado Livre and Flamengo join forces to support gender equality by promoting women's sports

Latin America's largest e-commerce site and the world's largest fan club have signed an unprecedented partnership to encourage girls and women to play soccer.

By Flamengo and Mercado Livre - in 16/03/2022 às 15:00

Continuing their investment plans for the development of women's soccer, Mercado Livre and Flamengo are joining forces on a project to support gender equality and announce several initiatives aimed at promoting women's sports. Among these initiatives, the brand is the new sponsor of the Rubro-Negro women's professional and youth teams, alongside the launch of the "Elas Jogam" program, created to provide greater access to soccer for all girls and women who want to grow and develop in the sport.

"Mercado Livre believes that inclusion, equal development, and diversity are drivers of progress. We are delighted to launch this unprecedented project in partnership with Flamengo. Women's soccer is still developing in Brazil, and our ambition is to be one of the partners that helps in the cultural transformation of gender equality in practice, encouraging not only Brazil's great women's soccer team but also any girls and women who want to play soccer. We know there is still a long way to go, but this is another step toward empowering women in sports and encouraging them to take the field. We believe that increasing the visibility of these initiatives will engage even more people and brands to advance together and increasingly toward gender equality in sports and other areas," adds Thais Souza Nicolau, Branding Director for Latin America.

For the next 12 months, the brand will be featured on the match and training jerseys of the main and youth teams. But the partnership with the club goes beyond sponsorship: since 2021, as sponsor of the men's squad, Mercado Livre has combined innovation as a leading technology brand in Latin America with the strength of the club with the largest fan base in the world to generate new opportunities, such as through initiatives with Flamengo's official store, player presentations such as David Luiz, and a Father's Day campaign featuring Zico, the club's greatest idol.

This time, together, Mercado Livre and Flamengo are launching the 'Elas Jogam' campaign, an initiative that will encourage girls and women, aged 4 to 22, to play football through full scholarships, with tuition waivers for one year, at Flamengo's 69 schools, spread across 18 Brazilian states.

"After a successful year with the men's team, Mercado Livre is once again partnering with Flamengo, now investing in our women's soccer teams. We are confident that the sport will grow even further with this incentive, which is not limited to brand exposure, but also supports several other initiatives we will carry out throughout the year," said Gustavo Oliveira, Flamengo's Vice President of Communications and Marketing.

To secure one of the available spots, you must purchase the "athlete kit," which includes a ball, a sports bag, and a squeeze bottle, for R$79. With the kit, identification, and receipt in hand, the prospective athlete's guardian must complete enrollment at one of the affiliated schools. Those over 18 who have their kits can register as usual. The addresses of participating schools and the complete regulations, with all the rules, can be found at mercadolivre.com.br/elasjogam, a website that will be live starting March 21st.

All proceeds from kit sales will be donated to the Pretas em Campo program, run by the NGO Empodera. Pretas em Campo is a sports project exclusively for teenage girls and young women, implemented in Cidade de Deus and Pedra de Guaratiba, Rio de Janeiro. It focuses on empowerment and combating racism through a methodology that uses soccer as a tool for developing socio-emotional skills and discussing key issues.

Created by GUT São Paulo, an independent global agency, the campaign will feature a video available on the main Mercado Livre and Flamengo channels, as well as activations on the social media profiles of women's soccer experts, such as Dibradoras, Joga Pra Elas, and journalist and influencer Raissa Simplicio, as well as content on TikTok in partnership with creators Gio Queiroz, Giulia Araki, Bia Bonacin, Nayumi Be, and Carolixas.

About Free Market

Mercado Livre is the leading e-commerce and financial services technology company in Latin America, offering solutions for individuals and businesses to buy, sell, pay, advertise, and ship products and services online. In addition to its e-commerce platform and fintech Mercado Pago, the company also operates the following business areas: Mercado Envios, Mercado Livre VIS (Vehicles, Real Estate, and Services), Mercado Ads, and Mercado Shops. The largest and most comprehensive marketplace in Latin America, Mercado Livre has 76 million active users, with over 9 million unique sellers, including major brands, achieving 32 sales per second. Mercado Pago, with over 34,5 million active users, offers a comprehensive financial technology platform with a free account, payment solutions, and credit. Founded in 1999 and present in 18 countries, Mercado Livre is among the 10 best companies to work for in Brazil, the best for women in the country, and among the 4 best in Latin America.