Pepsi, a long-time supporter of cricket and the Pakistan women’s national team, has introduced a novel outdoor solution. In partnership with the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and IMPACT BBDO, Pepsi has unveiled Playboards – the world’s first billboards embedded with professional-grade cricket gear, created specifically for women.
The challenge: Cricket is the most popular sport in Pakistan, but mostly led by men. For many aspiring female cricketers, the game often poses severe hurdles such as access to proper cricket gear , especially for young girls training in informal spaces, with no support system and no equipment available that is specifically made for women.
Installed in public spaces, the billboards appear traditional with images of cricket stars. But look closer, and all the cricket equipment on the board are not photographs, but actual cricket gear.
The Playboards invite young girls and women to pull equipment off the board, use it to train, and place it back for the next player. It’s a powerful message made tangible: every woman who dreams of playing the game should have the means to do it.
Ali Rez, Chief Creative Officer at IMPACT BBDO, said, “Pepsi Playboards are a revolution in sport equality: these are billboards that do more than advertise – they equip women to play cricket. Playboards will not just change the game. They will change thousands of women’s lives.”
Not just a symbol of support, but a functional platform that puts bats, pads, gloves, and helmets – all custom-designed to fit female athletes – directly into their hands.
Featured in the campaign are some of the country’s leading female cricketers, not just as faces of the game, but as leaders lighting the way for the next generation.
“This initiative aligns with our shared goal of growing women’s cricket from the grassroots,” said Mohsin Naqvi, Chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board. “Together with Pepsi, we’re taking a step towards creating a more inclusive cricket culture, one where every girl who dreams of wearing Pakistan’s jersey has the tools to get there.”
For every girl who has ever picked up a bat too heavy or borrowed a brother’s gloves, this billboard offers something new: a starting point that fits.
In a country where cricket dreams often begin in alleyways and open grounds, Pepsi has given young women a new place to start, right under a billboard that gives more than just visibility. It gives them an equal chance.
“We’ve always believed in backing the next generation of cricketing talent,” said Hakima Mirza, Senior Director Marketing at PepsiCo Pakistan. “But this time, we wanted to do more than celebrate from afar. We wanted to help change the ecosystem of cricket in Pakistan. The campaign equips aspiring women cricketers with real gear made for them, and makes it accessible.”
Because sometimes, the path to the national stage starts not with an invitation, but with someone simply handing you a bat made just for you.
CREDITS:
Client: PepsiCo Pakistan in collaboration with the Pakistan Cricket Board
Agencies: IMPACT BBDO and BBDO Pakistan
