Heineken Highlights Importance of Champions League

Would you ditch your friends for a VIP Champions League ticket? What about if your boss put in a last-minute conference call on a big European night; what would you do?

The elite competition has a deep emotional effect on football fans across the continent and a new campaign from long-time sponsor, Heineken, taps into the spirit of the game as the event gathers momentum this March.

The first of two videos, The Dilemma, introduces a group of friends who hook up for all the big midweek matches offering a chance to chat and connect about the game, but also as pals beyond the pitch. When an unmissable opportunity arises, however, the bond is broken as a chance to see Roma take on Real Madrid beckons for one of the group. What happens next is a brilliant chain of events orchestrated by the brand...

In a second spot, The Substitute, one of the game’s legends, former Manchester United star, Rio Ferdinand, plots a plan to help an employee escape a last-minute conference call at work allowing him to catch the evening action. Ferdinand dons a mask of the fan’s face and plays his part in the meeting to win the bosses over as he so often did in red and white colours in the Champions League.

Both elements of the campaign channel the sheer emotion and importance of Europe’s premier competition for fans across the continent and highlight the extreme lengths they’ll go to be able to watch the action. The brand is placed as an aid in bringing the entertainment home and continues its strong ties with UEFA as an elite sponsor.