ABOUT

Cultural Context:
One-third of young girls drop out of sports by the time they reach secondary school. There are several reasons for this. At the heart of it is a lack of visible role models - women in sport who continue to push through the same challenges and doubts girls face every day.


The Problem:
There are several great role models out there. Young girls just don’t get to see enough of them. Women’s sports content comprises only a small portion of total sports media.
Mainstream TV news and highlight programmes still dedicate minimal airtime to women’s sports. While social media has been amplifying the voices of female athletes, young girls who are thinking of quitting sports don’t usually come across this content.


The Solution:
Since young girls don’t see or hear enough about female athletes, Sports Illustrated decided to bring its coverage of female athletes directly to them. With a large library of editorial content about female athletes and their journeys, Sports Illustrated decided to turn real stories of sportswomen overcoming struggles into massive, vibrant wallpapers – the Wall of Will. By putting these wallpapers up in school gyms and locker rooms, Sports Illustrated turned places that girls associate with doubts and insecurities into spaces that provide motivation and reassurance.

While the objective of the Wall of Will was to stand out and stand tall in school gyms and locker rooms, the design made sure that it did not seem out of place to teenagers. It was inspired by the raw, expressive collages often found in their notebooks. It borrowed elements from teen culture and replicated the playful mindset of teens.


The Results:
The Wall of Will initiative has been adopted by 19 schools across Germany so far. A further 24 schools have signed up for their own copies of the wallpaper through wallofwill(dot)com.

Over 20,000 girls now see a Wall of Will every day at school. With the wallpaper changing the atmosphere in school locker rooms and gyms, teachers have noticed more positivity, confidence, and an overall shift in attitude towards sport among girls.