A new digital film called ‘Team Of Champions’ rolled out on 23 April to introduce a new national purpose football programme from PepsiCo which sees the food and drink giant invest $1m to improve access to soccer in underserved communities across the USA.
Fronted by PepsiCo brand’s Pepsi, Lay’s and Gatorade, the project builds on the company’s football sponsorships which are led by its global partnership with the UEFA Champions League and the campaign launch coincided with the 2021 tournament’s semi-final games during the last week of April.
The hero spot is supported by a content series across broadcast, social and digital platforms to boost visibility on the impact of each dollar donated and tell soccer linked stories and amplify community voices from the 11 organisations as well as featuring soccer stars and cultural influencers including Santiago Muñoz and Jonathan González.
The campaign will run during the lead up to the 2020-2021 UEFA Champions League final
The commitment, which will run over a three-year period, begins with on- and off-field investment into 11 local community organisations (labelled the ‘Starting Eleven’) which PepsiCo believes will help create transformational change for Hispanic and Black communities across US cities (including Chicago, Dallas, Detroit, El Paso, Fort Lauderdale, Los Angeles, New York City and Washington DC.)
The ‘Team of Champions’ project aims to level the playing field by providing apparel and equipment (including boots and balls), as well as pitch access, mentoring, coaching, education and fan experiences.
The project is fronted by athlete ambassador and MLS side LA Galaxy forward Javier ‘Chicharito’ Hernandez.
“I’m proud to partner with Pepsi and Lay’s to bring the beautiful game to underserved communities across the country,” said the former Mexico and Manchester United striker about the initiative. “From access to safe play, gear and equipment, to coaching and role models, ‘Team of Champions’ looks to remove barriers to the game that have become harder to move, particularly during the pandemic.”
“As one of the fastest-growing and unifying sports in the United States, we saw an opportunity to leverage our largest global platform – UEFA Champions League – and the game as a force for good,” explained PepsiCo VP & GM Of Hispanic Business Esperanza Teasdale. “PepsiCo, along with our iconic brands Pepsi, Lay’s and Gatorade, is committed to making an impact in our Hispanic and Black communities. With ‘Team of Champions,’ we’re building upon decades of experience and commitment on and off the field to equalize access to the game and bring smiles and opportunity through soccer.”
Comment:
‘Team Of Champions’ is another pillar in PepsiCo’s current company-wide Racial Equality Journey which, in 2020, saw it announce commitments of more than $570m over the next five years to lift up Black and Hispanic businesses and communities in the US to address issues of inequality and create opportunity.
“Uniting people through soccer and sharing the joy of the game is something our brands like Lay’s, Pepsi and Gatorade have been doing for years. We’re excited to strengthen our presence and impact in the game, partnering with organizations to invest in Hispanic and Black soccer clubs, programs and businesses, with the ambition to drive long-term change and address systemic barriers in these underserved communities,” added PepsiCo SVP & GM Hispanic Business Antonio Escalona.
Using football as a platform for one strand of the project certainly makes plenty of sense not just because it enables the company to maximise its UEFA Champions League partnership investment and rights, but also because soccer is one of the fastest growing sports in the US.
The project runs in parallel with the company’s other 2020/21 UEFA Champions Leagues activations which include March’s TikTok #PepsiChallenge, February’s ‘Fizz To Life’ and ‘Play Never Stops’, plus Lay’s ‘Apartment Arena’ campaign.
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