The knockout stages of the Champions League start next week, and sponsor Heineken is here to celebrate Europe’s hardcore fans. Not the hooligans, but the ones who name their kids and dogs after footballers, or nip straight from the church to the pub in their wedding dress to watch a game.
Le Pub’s new spot features Dutch captain Virgil van Dijk and former Lioness Jill Scott, who are also helping Heineken out with a competition to find the most dedicated football fans. Top prize is a trip to the Champions League final at Wembley on June 1st.
Nabil Nasser, Global Head of Heineken Brand, said: “There’s a minority of football fans that can spoil the game for everyone else, giving ‘hardcore’ fans a bad name, but those problematic few don’t represent the majority. Our new campaign is a witty twist on the stereotype, showing instead what hardcore fandom really looks like.”
Bruno Bertelli, global CCO of Publicis Worldwide, said: The campaign is an ode to realness, playfulness, and irreverent genius, yet an incredible opportunity differentiate the creative point of view. Hardcore fans are football’s key element, strong socialisers, conversation enablers who honour the game with unconditional love and out-of-the-ordinary rituals and inventiveness.”
MAA creative scale: 7
