ZUZU F.C.

It’s time. Cue the orchestra… 🎺🎺🎻🎻🎻🥁😮 DAA CHAMPIOOONS League final is upon us. To celebrate another epic battle to crown the UEFA Champions League I’ve been digging the internet in search of UCL ads & campaigns and put together my top 5. Let’s think of it less as a ranking and more as creative gems.  

Spoiler alert: it’s a Heineken-fest of ads. 

The beer brand has been quite a territorial-jealous-boyfriend regarding UCL marketing, leaving little space for other brands. Just a reminder—my criteria is purely insight + idea + execution. It’s obvious (and pretty sad) that the older the ad the less diverse they look. Here we go…

PICK NUMBER 05: Heineken “Match your half”

Remember in the 2010s when brands and agencies decided that fake pranks with “real” people as campaigns were “cool?” People (I mean actors) were “randomly” picked (I mean cast) to participate in a “thrilling” (I mean lame) competition. All “super” genuine. That’s all included in this gem promoting the UCL final back in 2014. I totally “miss” those days 🙊.

PICK NUMBER 04: Heineken “The SPEECH”

I’ve already talked about Zlatan giving his prep talk here. Now, it’s José Mourinho’s turn to rattle your cage (or his neighbors, who is he yelling at??🤷‍♂️) with a monologue that feels ripped from the pages of a Ridley Scott script. The entertaining “The Speech” happens on the rooftop of a skyscraper under lighting and thunder. Outstanding production. A super looooong speech. So, get ready for a few cringy scenes. But, what can I say, the camera loves Mourinho! Director Guy Ritchie’s stamp comes at the end, breaking the grand moment with a cute little puppy, aw. Classic.

PICK NUMBER 03: Heineken “legendary football”

The artistry of the greatest footballers producing the most legendary moments of the UCL. This is the insight that anchors this Heineken campaign from 2011. The gaudy aesthetics with Roman gladiators and beer-delivering angels is balanced with an obvious dose of wry humor, being self-aware that all this opulence is a bit much, but, at the same time, football fans are there for the melodrama too. AND we’ll never know if Ruud Van Nistelrooy and Clarence Seedorf scored the goal 😱 WHY???. JK, that was a killing touch. Nicely done. 

PICK NUMBER 02: HEINEKEN “unmissable”

When I first saw this campaign, I was like, “Yes! I’m not alone.” Because I lost count of how many times I missed a goal for taking my eyes off the game for 2 goddamn seconds. It’s horrible! And hilarious! This Heineken campaign hits the bullseye bringing strategy, creative, and production into a simple and powerful truth among futebol fans. Bravo! And I’ll have my fingers crossed that won’t happen to anyone this Saturday!

PICK NUMBER 01: playstation 2 “vulture”

OK, this campaign sits at the top because it goes against all the norms of today’s creative. It’s weird, off-beat, hyperbolical, and has a live freaking vulture! The concept slaps the audience with the ultimate truth for gamers: you live, or…a vulture will eat your remains after you die. Yes, the acting is a bit corny, but hey, that was the early 2000s. Look beyond, and you’ll understand how to be impactful and subtle. This. Is. Timeless. Creative people! Let’s bring weird back to ads, yeah?

If you found something cool, weird, or just plain awful that isn’t on this list, please comment below!