Orange flies the flag for Les Bleus

To mark the upcoming UEFA Women's Euro 2025, mobile network provider Orange, a partner of the French women's national football team, has launched a bold new campaign.

Created by Publicis Conseil Paris, the 105-second spot reminds viewers that the reason Les Bleues, the French national team, is able to shine today, is because generations of women fought to earn their place on the pitch.

For over 100 years, women's football has had to fight to exist, to be recognised, and for its players to simply be allowed on the pitch. And, the spot reminds us, those fights are far from over.

The film retraces the major milestones in the history of women's football in France, from its creation, to the ban on women's football under the Vichy regime in 1941, to the first official recognition by the French Football Federation in 1971, and then the first international match and Marinette Pichon becoming the first professional player in 2002. Each chapter highlights the scale of the obstacles female football and its players have had to overcome.

Archive footage is blended with contemporary scenes to capture the intensity of the movement, the roughness of the clashes and the passion that exemplifies these teams and players.

“This film pays tribute to all those who paved the way, often in the shadows and in silence," said Kamel Makhloufi and Julien Colas, Creative Directors at Publicis Conseil. "By telling this story with truth and emotion, we wanted to show that sport is a space for struggle, for achievement, and for legacy. This is a work of memory, but also a vision for the future.”