Pepsi Max leverages UEFA Champions League climax via star studded ‘Where There’s A Ball There’s A Way’

Objective

The aim was to boost global awareness of the brand’s tournament partnership, continue to reinforce its global football credentials ahead of the summer’s Euro 2024 and demonstrate the power of football to bring enjoyment regardless of how or where it’s played – thus bringing to life Pepsi’s umbrella ‘thirsty for more’ philosophy.

In terms of phasing, this UCL campaign is actually the first chapter of the brand’s wider ‘Where There’s A Ball There’s A Way’ campaign which will aim to engage with the footballing community, highlight barriers around access to the sport and start to solve them and drive home a message that ‘all you need is a football, the right attitude and you’ve got yourself a game’.

The initiative will run through the rest of the year within football itself (including the Euros) and within the wider culture around the game.

Activation

Developed with Copa90 and created with London production company Iconoclast, the campaign stars a group of young London street ballers and a set of big name PepsiCo player ambassadors from this year’s tournament with penetration potential in various international markets including (finalist) Vinicius Jr, Jack Grealish, Son Heung-Min and Leah Williamson.

The campaign rolled out from 29 April across global markets and was led by a hero film that was subsequently supported with social content focusing on each of the four ambassadors.

Shot at a local café in the shadow of Wembley Stadium’s iconic arch – chosen because the ground hosts the 2024 Champions League Final – the creative features a game of street football to show how a game can be played anywhere there is an appetite to play. The narrative arc sees a group of locals challenge the Pepsi ambassadors to a game of ‘Keepy-Uppy’.

Ignoring the ‘No Ball Games Allowed’ signs above their heads, the professional player endorsers accept the challenge and high-octane action ensues: complete with unusual and creative trick-shots, plus skills shot in slow-motion while players’ taking selfies with fans – making street freestyle football as compelling as the elite pro game.

 The film also features former England star turned commentator/analyst Karen Carney who commentates on the street match and London born footballer turned actor Vinnie Jones.

 Launched on 29 April, in time for the UEFA Champions League Semi-Final between Real Madrid and Bayern Munich, official sponsor Pepsi-Max’s two-minute film champions the accessibility of football.

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OiELx6pxyl8

 https://www.instagram.com/p/C6v8IUPus6G/

 https://twitter.com/VinnieJones65/status/1787613719260000289

 “Being thirsty for more – Pepsi’s philosophy – means feeling that wherever there is a ball, there is an opportunity to find new and unexpected ways to find enjoyment through the game. Whether you’re playing on the biggest stages in the world or on city streets, there’s an opportunity to unlock the enjoyment that it brings. This film is the first chapter in our ‘Where There’s a Ball There’s a Way’ campaign as we look to engage with the footballing community and highlight any barriers to access to the sport, remembering always that all you need is a football, the right attitude and you’ve got yourself a game.”

Pepsico VP Of Global Brand Marketing, Carbonated Soft Drinks Eric Melis

“I am thrilled to take part in this first campaign with Pepsi Max and join the team. When I was growing up, I just wanted to play—whether in the house, the street, or on the pitch. Our “Where There’s A Ball, There’s A Way” campaign aims to get more people to take every opportunity to enjoy the game.”

Manchester City FC and England Attacker Jack Grealish

“This campaign is about making everyone feel they belong in the football community, as long as they’ve got a ball and the thirst to play. I want to encourage fans—and especially women and girls—around the world to enjoy more of the game, pick up a football, and get involved no matter who or where they are.”

Arsenal FC and England defender Leah Williamson.

The campaign will continue through additional activation strands in the lead up to and at the final itself with initiatives such as the ‘Pepsi MAX Hidden Pitch Tour’.

Credits

The campaign was created for client Pepsi by a team at agency/creative/publisher COPA90 which included Chief Creative Officer Gavin Rowe, Business Director Miles Woodford, Client Lead Freddie Miller, Creatives Aaron Lobb and Andy Demianyk, Producers Natalie Hill and Sophie Smith, plus Head Of Production Rob Michaels

Production was handled by Iconoclast with Director Ernest Desumbila, Director Of Photography Konstantin Mazov, Executive Producer Jean Mougin, Producer Luke Plaister, Post Producers Nico Zarza and Marta Silva, Production Designer Max Randall and Prop Master Merl Homer.

Post production and VFX were by Sauvage where the group included Editor Joao Silva, Producer Yukio Montilla, Executive Producer Rebecca Johnson, Coordinators Sophie McDonald and Marta Silva, Compositors Lorenzo Lovera, Guillem Maresma, Pau Garcia, Oscar Gutiérrez, Diogo Santos, Joan Palacios, Ales Gargulak, Nacho Hoyos, Alex De La Sotilla, Dennis Tsoi and David Borras, plus Artists Josep Ismael Trias, Roger Piñol, Ferran Sellarès, Lidia Rodriguez, Júlia Bosch, Emanuel Espinoza, Joan Grassot, Arnau Espàrrech and Hugo Morais, Editor João Teixeira, VFX Artist Nicolás Zarza, Online Editors Julian Lema, Ana Vázquez and Alex Ruiz, plus Colourists Biel Geli and Julián Lema.

Music and sound was also handled by Sauvage.

Comment

It’s a simple concept, executed with no shortage of charm, although plenty of fans have commented on social media that 28-year-old Grealish (who signed an endorser deal with Pepsi in April 2024) should be focusing more on his form and trying to get a starting place in City’s team and Williams should be concentrating on working her way back from a long-term injury.

 How this kind of comment applies to UCL finalist Vini Jr’s Real Madrid one can only wonder?

This campaign aims to introduce a fully-fledged platform from which Pepsi can challenge the conventions holding people back from enjoying more football and this will be expressed both through the game, as well as via fashion collaborations, entertainment initiatives and social content.

It was in June 2023 that parent company PepsiCo renewed its UEFA Champions League partnership for the 2024-2027 cycle led by brands Pepsi, PepsiMax, Gatorade and Lay’s.

When announcing the extension with the world’s most watched annual sporting competition, the company declared that the sponsorship would continue to create new fan engagements and experiences and positively impact communities off the pitch

Indeed, PepsiCo also unveiled plans to invest $1m in projects supported by the UEFA Foundation for Children, as well as contributing to environmental sustainability initiatives – including collaborative efforts to significantly reduce the use of single-use plastic packaging as part of the ‘Road to Zero’ initiative.

As a part of the deal, PepsiCo will seek to continue to deliver unique experiences for fans and strive to further expand the reach of the UEFA Champions League globally by doubling it activations in the USA and the Middle East.

Amongst its planned activations strands are:

> UEFA Champions League Final Kick Off Show by Pepsi
> Digital and data collection and fan engagement
> Lay’s Replay
> Team of Champions

This case study originally appeared on Activative: which offers clients creative and strategic intelligence to fuel game-changing sports and sponsorship marketing. www.activative.co.uk