Metro Bank and ECB launch ‘Seeing is Believing’ campaign

Metro Bank has partnered with the ECB and Getty Images to create a free image bank aiming to increase visual representation of women’s and girls’ cricket in the UK.

The image library, also accessible globally through Getty’s #ShowUs collection, is intended to increase the visibility of female cricketers and support the growth of participation at local levels.

The campaign, titled ‘Seeing is Believing’, follows commissioned research which has shown that 68% of women and girls aged seven and above would be more likely to try a new sport if they saw themselves represented visually. A lack of high-quality imagery has been identified as a barrier to entry by 41% of respondents, rising to 55% among school girls aged 7–16. In the past 12 months, 20% of those surveyed reported seeing no images of women or girls playing cricket, while 34% said they had seen very few.

One in three women and girls in the UK have said that better visibility of imagery would make them more likely to take up cricket, and 63% of school-aged girls have expressed the same view. The initiative also responds to findings that key motivations to play include seeing others like them involved (41%), awareness of accessible local teams (41%), and watching professional female players (42%).

The photography campaign has featured professional players Lauren Bell, Maia Bouchier, Freya Kemp and Sophia Dunkley, alongside recreational teams from across England and Wales.

This campaign complements Metro Bank’s role as the ECB’s first Champion of Women’s and Girls’ Cricket and its lead partnership of the One Day formats. In May 2024, Metro Bank and the ECB launched the Metro Bank Girls in Cricket Fund, which has aimed to triple the number of girls’ teams in the UK by supporting clubs in creating inclusive environments.

The initiative has aligned with broader efforts by the ECB to improve gender equity in cricket under its long-term strategy, ‘Inspiring Generations’, and has coincided with the 2025 season of the Women’s One-Day Cup, reflecting the growing domestic structure for the women’s game.

Danielle Lee, Director of Brand and Marketing at Metro Bank, said, “Representation matters. Our research shows that there is a gap in visibility of images of women’s and girls’ cricket, with an opportunity to address that and inspire the next generation who want to take up the sport. With the support of the ECB, we’ve worked with Getty Images to increase the variety and number of images of new grassroots photographs, focusing on the power of teamwork and relationships in the sport. Through Seeing is Believing and The Metro Bank Girls In Cricket Fund, we hope this will inspire more women and girls to get involved in cricket.”

Jacqueline Bourke, Senior Director of Creative EMEA at Getty Images, added, “Challenging stereotypes around women and girls in sport is a key driving force behind our work at Getty Images, and we were proud to collaborate with Metro Bank and the ECB, using our creative insights as a foundation to produce the campaign. Our VisualGPS research continues to show that people want to see women’s sport portrayed through an inclusive lens from grassroots to elite level. By making the images widely available in our #ShowUs collection, we are encouraging not just the cricket community but also media companies and brands to promote a more authentic representation of women and girls in sport through visuals.”

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