DDB NZ and FINCH aim to correct the internet’s bias against women in sports

The global campaign 'Correct The Internet' highlights and rectifies the inaccuracies in internet search results to make sportswomen more visible.

Who is the first person that comes to mind when you think of sports? The most common answer would be a man. At least the internet has unbiased answers, or so we thought. DDB Group Aotearoa and FINCH came out with a global campaign 'Correct The Internet' to ask the question ‘Who has scored the most goals in International football?’ and got Cristiano Ronaldo as the answer. 

It’s actually Canadian footballer, Christine Sinclair who did. This global campaign is designed to highlight and correct the inconsistency of searchable facts that disadvantages sportswomen. 

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The campaign is the collective work of an international group of like-minded people who saw the need to get behind the cause, championed by Rebecca Sowden, founding partner of Correct The Internet and owner of United Nations’ ‘Football for the Goals’ member Team Heroine – an international sports marketing consultancy.

A number of partners are supporting the campaign across their channels, with extensive social media, OOH, television, radio and PR activity. 

The problem was first discovered when DDB pitched for the FIFA Women’s World Cup in New Zealand. When researching facts about the world’s top footballers, the team discovered that women held quite a few football records. 

However, when asking ungendered questions to find these facts, the internet was incorrectly putting men ahead of statistically-worthy women in its search results. 

The video produced by FINCH was shown at the NZ Football Ferns game against the USA women’s team at Eden Park on January 21.   

With its aim to empower women through the power of sport, the campaign has been favoured by United Nations initiative, Football for the Goals (FFTG), as well as the support of organisations such as Women in Sport Aotearoa (WISPA), Women Sport Australia, and New Zealand Football, and many well-known athletes including English rugby’s Red Roses’ player, Shaunagh Brown, and NZ Footballer, Meikayla Moore.