Frito-Lay chip brand Lay’s leveraged its UEFA sponsorship rights around the Champions League last 16 round by enabling fans to use AI to create and send personalised video from Barcelona super star Lionel Messi.
The ‘Messi Messages’ initiative enables supporters to send their friends a personalised message from Messi himself – well, a face-mapped AI version of Messi.
The mechanic is fairly simple: users entering a few details (names and dates) and the message is generated via ‘advanced lip-synching technology’ developed by AI and facial mapping specialists Synthesia to make it seem that Messi is speaking directly to the recipient.
The resulting mobile clip sees the Barca striker offer a personal greeting message in a synthesised voice which comes in one of 10 languages and then he invites everybody to watch ‘the big match’ together.
The campaign, part of the brand’s #LaysUnited football platform, was launched on 16 March and promoted via digital-first campaign.
Comment:
Lionel Messi may be one of the most famous people on the planet and offering fans a chance to create and send their friends a personalised message from the Argentine maestro is a compelling engagement opportunity – and not just for Barcelona fans.
This is part of a wider trend for celebrities and sports stars making money selling individual videos on the Cameo platform (Inbetweeners star and comic actor James Buckley earned $415,000 from this activity alone in 2020), so some consumers will already have experienced a famous faces addressing them directly via their smartphone.
But the sight of the six-time Ballon d’Or winner Messi looking directly at you from your screen is a powerful marketing proposition for many.
The technology is impressive, although not quite as realistic as to feel as threateningly authentic as genuine deep fake technologies. Plus, a bit more message personalisation beyond the limited options might have been more beneficial.
The list of name options to choose from feels a little arbitrary. Although the team has been careful to ensure that there is no option to send a message to ‘Cristiano’.
This campaign follows on from Lay’s February UCL ‘Apartment Arena’ activation which was also fronted by Messi alongside World Cup winner Paul Pogba and UEFA Women’s Player of the Year 2017 Lieke Martens.
Lay’s is building a strong track record of innovative UCL activations dating back to its 2016 ‘Cheer For Champions’ Snapchat lens.
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