PepsiCo, a proud partner of the UEFA Champions League (UCL) since 2015, has announced the extension of its strategic partnership for another three years, strengthening its presence in the elite football scene. The brand is the first sponsor to renew the collaboration with UCL, and this comes at a crucial time as the competition format changes and the number of participating clubs increases, offering fans new ways to enjoy the group’s iconic brands, including Pepsi, Lay’s and Gatorade.
In its third cycle of partnership with the championship, PepsiCo will help expand the reach of the world’s most watched sports competition, drive next-generation fan engagement and seek to accelerate its sustainability agenda and support for people and the planet, PepsiCo Positive (pep+). Specifically, the extension of the partnership will reinforce the company’s commitment to generating social and environmental impact, with an investment of US$1 million dedicated to collaborative projects with the UEFA Foundation for Children and initiatives focused on environmental sustainability, including joint efforts to significantly reduce the use of disposable plastic.
Lay’s RePlay is one of the global projects that will benefit. Created in partnership with the UEFA Foundation for Children, the initiative aims to give deserving communities access to football pitches made from recycled Lay’s crisp bags. To date, the project has opened seven football pitches in South Africa, Brazil, UK, US, Italy, Egypt and Mexico, with a potential monthly reach of 14,000 community members worldwide. With four more courses in the planning stages, the project’s global presence is set to span ten countries, with 11 courses around the world.
future of football
The next phase of the partnership, which runs through June 2027, will promote a two-way dialogue between brands and fans, generating cultural moments of global conversation. PepsiCo is committed to delivering unrivaled fan experiences, striving to further expand UCL’s reach globally, as well as doubling activations in the United States, football’s fastest growing market, and the Middle East.
Among the highlights of the renovation is also the joint commitment to take the opening Pepsi show of the UEFA Champions League final, a spectacle performed moments before the final of the championship, to another level. Since launching the Kick Off Show in 2016, Pepsi has brought music artists to perform live at the world’s most watched annual sporting event, transforming the final into a truly global entertainment platform for music and football.
Committed to accessing new audiences and finding innovative ways to interact with consumers, PepsiCo and UCL bring another first: they will leverage their fan databases to deliver personalized experiences, based on their individual preferences and behaviors, across multiple digital touchpoints. This partnership takes digital and data engagement to the next level and continues to capture new growth channels.
To provide support to competing teams, coaches and referees, Gatorade arrives to supply those involved in the championship with products and hydration equipment, such as the iconic bottles squeeze in all backstage of the match. The brand will also provide extensive hydration and sports nutrition resources through the Gatorade Sports Science Institute (GSSI) to help players maximize their performance.
“PepsiCo has a history with the UEFA Champions League, and we are delighted to renew our partnership to expand the reach and impact of football around the world. For the past eight years, our global markets have delivered best-in-class activations, leveraging the combined power of PepsiCo’s iconic food and beverage brands. With the sponsorship extension, we will continue to leverage our portfolio to drive positive change for people and the planet, on and off the field,” celebrates Adam Warner, Head of Sports and Global Partnerships at PepsiCo.
In addition to a shared love of the game, PepsiCo and UEFA share a passion for leveraging the world’s most popular sport to drive important social action, and have increasingly collaborated on various community and sustainability initiatives.
“We are delighted to continue to partner with PepsiCo and its iconic brands for the next three-year cycle. Together, we will continue to improve the fan experience in innovative ways, and positively impact communities through the power of football around the world,” comments UEFA Marketing Director Guy-Laurent Epstein.
With the $1 million investment made over the past three years, the company has expanded its team of champions to improve access to soccer in underserved communities across the United States. The investment has had an impact on and off the field, including helping teams with clothing and equipment costs, field access, mentoring, training, education and fan experiences.
In the 2023 UEFA Champions League and UEFA Women’s Champions League Final, PepsiCo and UEFA installed innovative circular economy practices to minimize football’s impact on the environment and drive resource efficiency. This included the adoption of returnable packaging solutions for food and beverages and the incorporation of recyclable and biodegradable fiber cups, where a pilot sample of fans using 48,000 reusable and smart cups was implemented.
These initiatives will pave the way to significantly reduce single-use plastic, with the aim of expanding this approach even further in European football in the coming years.
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