Football Australia have announced a multi-year deal with LCI Education’s Australian institution, LCI Melbourne, to become the Creative Higher Education Partner of the Socceroos, Matildas and all Australian Youth National Teams.
In a collaborative endeavour, LCI Melbourne will provide the Australian football community with bespoke creative design webinars and learning opportunities.
Select LCI students will also gain hands-on industry work experience in Football Australia’s award-winning Digital Content and Marketing Teams.
Football Australia’s marketing and creative department has received several awards, including a bronze at the 2024 Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity for the CommBank Matildas campaign, ‘Til it’s Done’ and TikTok Australia Sports Creator of the Year 2023 for the Matildas account.
The collaboration is importantly going to give students a chance to work with an elite digital marketing team and hopefully continue producing world-class media content that has levelled up the popularity of the Matildas.
The power of media and the narrative is often understated, and Football Australia is putting an emphasis on continuing to grow in that aspect across all levels and age groups in order to build a bigger audience for the game.
Football Australia CEO James Johnson explained the importance of this collaboration for the development of the football community in Australia.
“Football can play an important role in enriching the lives of our participants whether socially, physically, mentally and now educationally,” Johnson said in a statement.
“We are pleased to be stretching our partnerships to embrace new ties to the higher education sector, supporting accessible, affordable, and accelerated education pathways to a wider variety of students.
“The growth opportunities at LCI Melbourne are exciting as we work together to enhance sporting and educational outcomes. We will empower students to dream big, think differently, and turn their artistic passions into powerful forces for change, thanks to the collaboration between LCI and Football Australia’s award-winning Marketing, Digital, and Media Team.
“We look forward to working with LCI to elevate our sport even further through innovative and impactful storytelling.”
President and CEO of LCI Education, Claude Marchand, spoke on the shared values between the two parties and their focus on impacting the football community with their product.
“Being associated with such a powerful, inclusive, and representative brand in Australia is significant for a global education community like LCI Education,” Marchand added via media release.
“We strongly believe that football, with its shared values of commitment, perseverance, initiative, and teamwork, unites our learners and staff across our 12 institutions located on five continents.
“This innovative partnership between LCI Melbourne and Football Australia will undoubtedly create a lasting impact in the community, as the union between education and sport is powerful in shaping tomorrow’s leaders!”
This expansion of the sport’s partnership footprint now sees football supported by some of Australia’s biggest values-based brands including Nike, CommBank, Subway, Qantas, Coles and others.
This partnership is a smart, proactive move by Football Australia to incorporate the two parties by consolidating the link between accessible higher education and the most participated sport in the country with a goal to emphasise diversity and inclusion.
