In yet another campaign promoting its partnership with the UEFA Champions League, Pepsi shows football stars from around the world getting together for a good old-fashioned game of street football.
Developed in partnership with Copa90, a football-focused media company based in London, the two-minute film is fronted by Manchester City star Jack Grealish, Real Madrid striker Vini Jr, Tottenham Hotspur captain, Son Heung-min, and the captain of the England women’s team, Leah. Williamson.
Athletes challenge a group to a classic game of not letting the ball touch the ground, the famous “altinha”. The bets? Whoever drops the ball buys the others a Pepsi. The group dramatically juggles the ball as a crowd of spectators gathers to cheer them on against the backdrop of London’s iconic Wembley Stadium, where the 2024 UEFA Champions League final will be played on June 1 .
Just as it seems that Vini Jr. is ready to win the game, Vinnie Jones, legendary British former football player, actor and presenter arrives, who kicks the ball into the sky. “Hey, there’s only one Vinnie J,” he jokes. Vini Jr. shrugs, laughing, and the crowd cheers with cold cans of Pepsi. In the end, the one who ends up with the bill is Vini Jr.
Sports journalist and former footballer Karen Carney also makes a surprise appearance. The commercial, which formally announces Jack Grealish as Pepsi’s newest ambassador, is the first in a series of films that will be released as part of Pepsi’s wider ‘Where there’s a ball, there’s a path’ campaign.
With the campaign, the brand aims to engage with the thriving global football community and break down barriers to entry. Pepsi is planning a number of additional football-focused marketing initiatives this year, including films that focus on each of the four individual ambassadors, who appear in this campaign. The brand also teased future fashion collaborations, entertainment content and social activations.
*With information from The Drum/Cover photo: Reproduction/YouTube
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