“I look forward to the commercial breaks when women play”... Is it possible to change old fashioned preconceptions that women’s football is slow, boring and unexciting? As a sponsor for The UEFA Women's EURO 2013, Swedish gaming operator Svenska Spel decided to step up and prove the haters wrong. With a techy second screen invention that catches the interest of our young audience, we connected people in the audience to a pulse meter and some high tech stuff, transmitting their pulse - live - so others can see and feel their engagement.

With this makeshift polygraph we were able to not only show the love and excitement for the sport. We could prove it. Besides reaching huge amount of media, Increasing the live betting with triple digits and attracting tons of new clients and all that, we actually succeeded to turn some of the most pessimistic ones around.

"It's been the best EURO ever (...) and I've seen a lot of boys in their 20s really happy to follow the Swedish team but also the tournament.”

It might not sound like much. But the fact is that we changed how Sweden views women’s football. And that is a huge step forward.

Next stop, the world.

Through the mobile site Livepulsen.se we measured and displayed player’s family members heartbeats – live – during the games that the Sweden National team played in the 2013 European Championship.

When visiting the site during a game you could see clear spikes in heart rate in different game situations. When Swedish striker Kosovare Asllani was pulled down in the penalty box, her brothers’ heart rate went through the roof. You could choose to follow any amount of players you wanted simultaneously and the visitor could see the odds fluctuate live as the game progressed.

By having a few people taking this makeshift polygraph we were able to not only show the love and excitement for the sport. We could prove it.

• Swedish dailies covered the campaign and together with earned online outlets reaching close to 7 million impressions, to a large extent within the target group.

• The URL to the site was posted by several outlets in their editorial space as well as in social media channels drawing more and more visitors to the site.

• 90%+ positive feedback in all social media channels

• 127% sales increase among existing clients compared to the last championship.

• 100% increase in livebetting compared to the last championship.

• 28% rise in client acquisition compared to an average month.

Both qualitative and quantitative goals were wildly surpassed. The main point was not this. The fact is that we changed how Sweden views women’s football. And that is a huge step forward. Next stop, the world.

Our idea has started to change old fashioned preconceptions about women’s football.