The "Surfing Through The Odds" campaign by Betclic, Shutterstock, and Soma Surf highlights a unique intersection of social impact, representation, and sport. It aims to challenge longstanding gender and racial inequalities, particularly the invisibility of black female surfers in global image banks, by documenting and celebrating the journey of young girls in São Tomé and Príncipe who use surfing as a means of empowerment. The campaign’s core proposition centers on creating meaningful change through visibility and access, leveraging the combined strengths of a gambling brand, a global image platform, and a grassroots NGO to amplify underrepresented narratives while supporting sustainable community development.
Strategically, the campaign capitalizes on a socially conscious insight: representation matters not only culturally but also in economic opportunity. By producing a documentary and an exclusive image collection featuring the first black female surfers available on Shutterstock, the campaign marries storytelling with tangible assets that generate ongoing support for the cause. The creative approach is rooted in authenticity and lived experience, drawing focus to the real challenges these young women face while illustrating how sport can serve as a transformative tool for empowerment. Targeting audiences in Portugal and São Tomé and Príncipe, the campaign leverages digital, film, and integrated media to reach viewers who are likely to resonate with themes of gender equality, racial representation, and social progress, while also appealing to communities involved in sports and gambling. Ultimately, the campaign integrates brand purpose with local impact, positioning Betclic and Shutterstock not just as service providers but as active contributors to systemic change within niche, underserved markets.
FORMAT#10 ASSOCIATED USER IMAGERY — Shows a user profile the target audience can relate to or aspire to.
This campaign centers around elevating the visibility and representation of young black women surfers in São Tomé and Príncipe, a profile previously missing from mainstream visual culture and global image banks. Rather than dramatizing a product's functionality or building a narrative arc with brand resolution, the creative device showcases authentic aspirational user imagery—real girls overcoming social barriers through surfing. The focus is on presenting these underrepresented role models, making the campaign relatable and aspirational for the target audience.
ADVERTISING FORMATS EXPLAINED: https://www.clapboard.com/blog/branding-and-advertising/brand-strategy/12-advertising-creative-formats
1. Bet365 – Market Positioning
Bet365 positions itself as a leading global online gambling platform combining a comprehensive sportsbook with live betting options, strong user engagement, and an emphasis on technology-driven, real-time experiences. Its extensive market reach and trusted brand reputation focus on offering a reliable, user-friendly platform with competitive odds, appealing to both casual and professional sports bettors.
2. Shutterstock (competitor: Getty Images) – Market Positioning
Getty Images differentiates itself as a premium global visual content provider, offering a vast, curated collection emphasizing diversity and storytelling. It targets professional creatives and enterprises with high-quality, editorial, and archival content, positioning as a trusted source for authentic representation and impactful visuals across industries including sports and social causes.
3. Rip Curl – Market Positioning
Rip Curl stands out as a leading global surf brand committed to innovation and lifestyle authenticity, emphasizing community engagement and environmental responsibility. It merges performance-oriented sportswear with empowering narratives in surfing culture, championing inclusivity and supporting grassroots movements that foster female and minority surfer representation.
4. William Hill – Market Positioning
William Hill is a veteran gambling operator focused on delivering an extensive sportsbook with trusted customer service and diverse betting markets. The brand emphasizes responsible gambling initiatives and digital transformation to maintain leadership in traditional and online betting spaces, with a growing presence in European and international markets.
5. NGO Surfrider Foundation – Market Positioning
Surfrider Foundation is a nonprofit organization focused on environmental advocacy within the surfing community, promoting ocean and beach conservation. They differentiate by blending activism with lifestyle storytelling, encouraging surfers’ engagement in social causes, including diversity and inclusion, to protect surf ecosystems and empower marginalized groups worldwide.
Q: What is Surfing Through The Odds about?
A: Surfing Through The Odds is a 2023 integrated campaign created by Coming Soon Lisboa for Betclic, Shutterstock, and SOMA Surf, launched in Portugal and São Tomé and Príncipe. It centers on a documentary and image collection that highlights the journey of young black women surfers in São Tomé and Príncipe who defy social and gender barriers through surfing. The campaign addresses the absence of black female surfers in global image banks by producing the first-ever collection of such images on Shutterstock, with all profits supporting SOMA Surf’s mission of female empowerment through surf therapy, academic support, and mental health education.
Q: What creative device does Surfing Through The Odds use?
A: Surfing Through The Odds employs Clapboard’s FORMAT#10 ASSOCIATED USER IMAGERY, which showcases real user profiles that the target audience can relate to or aspire to. Instead of dramatizing a product or building a traditional narrative arc, the campaign presents authentic aspirational imagery of young black women overcoming social barriers through surfing. This approach focuses on underrepresented role models, making the campaign both relatable and aspirational by highlighting genuine lived experiences rather than fictional storytelling.
Q: What is the campaign proposition for Surfing Through The Odds?
A: The campaign proposition for Surfing Through The Odds positions Betclic, Shutterstock, and SOMA Surf as active contributors to social change by addressing gender and racial inequality in the surfing community. It targets audiences in Portugal and São Tomé and Príncipe who value representation and empowerment, emphasizing that visibility creates cultural and economic opportunity. By combining a documentary with an exclusive image collection of black female surfers, the campaign leverages storytelling and tangible assets to support sustainable community development and amplify underrepresented narratives in sports and public interest sectors.
Q: How does Surfing Through The Odds rank in Clapboard's archive?
A: Surfing Through The Odds holds a Clapboard Campaign Score of 80/100. This score reflects the campaign’s creative ambition, execution quality, and cultural relevance as assessed by Clapboard’s global ad archive. The rating indicates the campaign’s effectiveness in combining social impact with authentic storytelling and integrated media to create meaningful visibility for an underserved community.
Q: Who are the competitors in Betclic's category?
A: Betclic competes with brands such as Bet365, which is a leading global online gambling platform known for its comprehensive sportsbook and real-time betting technology. William Hill is another competitor, recognized for its extensive sportsbook, trusted customer service, and focus on responsible gambling initiatives. These brands operate in a highly competitive gambling market where user engagement, technology, and market reach are key differentiators, positioning Betclic among established operators targeting both casual and professional sports bettors.
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