Pepsi ropes in football icons Messi and Ronaldinho for latest football film

Pepsi has roped in football icons Lionel Messi, Ronaldinho and Paul Pogba for its latest upcoming football film "Nutmeg Royale", which is part of its international campaign "Thirsty for more". The new creative campaign celebrates an everlasting thirst for fun, exciting and unexpected outcomes.

With football’s craftiest move at its core, Pepsi's new trailer highlights the thrill of the action and unexpected possibilities that occur when you bring the world’s most accomplished footballers together. A nutmeg move requires confidence, skill and impeccable timing. A fusion of traditional technique with freestyler swag, it's a trick reserved for the risk-takers who are thirsty for the rush of the game.

The first look also features Messi, Ronaldinho and Pogba sporting something that eagle-eyed football fans may recognize. Paying homage to the iconic 2002 Pepsi football jersey, this year’s ad is set to feature the retro kit as a nod to the brand’s long and unparalleled impact on football culture.

Gustavo Reyna, Pepsi's senior director, global marketing, said as the title suggests, Nutmeg Royale is centred around  one of the slickest football skills that is not one to be underestimated. "So, in true Pepsi style, it is only right we recruit the best talent in world football to showcase how it’s done. We’re really proud of this latest campaign and we hope fans across the world love it as much as we do," he explained.

Localised campaigns for "Thirsty for more" have already launched globally. Late last year, Pepsi in Egypt rolled out its first campaign under "Thirsty for more", fronted by Egyptian footballer Mohamed Salah. The film celebrated the desire of having a thirst for success. The campaign included an ad and an 3D mapping stunt on the Tahrir Complex building in Cairo.

Pepsi in Latin America was also among the first to introduce the new campaign in March 2022. The local campaign championed the region’s rich heritage with food, focusing on the enjoyment of meals, encouraging the public to get off auto-pilot and experience new sensations and flavours.

Pepsi's parent company, PepsiCo, handed Publicis Groupe media duties for its F&B brands, moving on from Mindshare. Publicis Groupe created a dedicated business solution, PLUS+ by Publicis, to better work with the client.

Meanwhile in July, Pepsi also rolled out a campaign across Asia Pacific titled "This is a Pepsi Home", done in collaboration with VaynerMedia. It aimed to capture people at their most authentic selves when they’re at home, and create a stronger association between Pepsi and meal moments. The campaign also incorporated a current social media vibe around its food photography style.

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