To leverage spiking soccer interest around the 2022 FIFA Men’s World Cup and ambush fierce rival and official Qatar 2022 sponsor Coca-Cola, PepsiCo’s Pepsi Max brand teamed up with Brazilian football legend Ronaldinho to unveil is custom-created, branded ‘Nutmeg Foosball Table’.
A highly creative and skillful attacking midfielder Ronaldo de Assis Moreira, commonly known as Ronaldinho, played for Gremio, PSG, Barcelona, AC Milan, Flamengo and Fluminese and won two FIFA World Player of the Year awards and a Ballon d’Or and the 2002 World Cup.
Known as ‘the nutmeg king’, the Pepsi Max athlete ambassador surprised fans in Dubai by challenging them to a game of fussball/ foosball on a custom built branded table which the unique feature of allowing players to nutmeg their opponents
The participatory, ambient stunt event took place at Dubai’s Jumeirah Beach Residence over the weekend of 3 and 4 December – in the middle of the World Cup being played in neighbouring Qatar – and saw Ronaldinho showcase his famous footwork and unparalleled skills on the table football by challenging onlookers and passers-by on the one of a kind, custom-built Pepsi Nutmeg Foosball Table.
The table incorporated static players with parted legs to allow competitors to nutmeg their opponents – much like a nutmeg on the pitch: a novel addition created to provide an additional challenge and, according to the brand, to ‘fuels a thirst for the exciting and unexpected that is all too familiar when a nutmeg takes place in real life’.
Wearing the recently launched ‘Pepsi X AoF Jersey’ which was designed as an homage to the brand’s iconic 00’s football strip which first appeared 20 years ago, Ronaldinho handed out signed shirts and cans of the soft drink to those fans who were able to complete a nutmeg on the table.
“Celebrating the launch of the Pepsi Nutmeg Foosball Table by surprising football fans was such a thrilling experience,” commented Ronaldinho. “It’s always a pleasure to work alongside Pepsi MAX who really set the bar when executing huge football moments within iconic worldwide locations. There’s nothing that makes me happier than sharing in the excitement and fun of a nutmeg, so being on the beach meeting fans and celebrating one of my favourite skills was a lot of fun.”
Pepsi’s Senior Director of Global Marketing Gustavo Reyna: “This exciting collaboration showcases Pepsi MAX’s ongoing commitment to bring entertainment and football together in new and innovative ways. Sharing this experience with Ronaldinho, our long time Pepsi MAX ambassador and the king of nutmegs, we are thrilled to have brought the first-ever Nutmeg Foosball Table to life and are excited for fans to put their nutmeg skills to the test on the table!”
The brand also invites fans to join the fun and play the ‘Pepsi Nutmeg Foosball Table’ themselves by visiting the ‘Pepsi Thirsty for More’ pop-up on ‘The Beach’ from 30 November to 14 December, while additional information on where the unique tables will finally end up will be announced towards the end of the tournament.
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This in-person initiative followed on from Pepsi Max’s November football film ‘Nutmeg Royale’ which featured Ronaldinho alongside Lionel Messi and Paul Pogba.
The work also ambushes rival and official tournament sponsor Coca-Cola’s ‘Believe In Magic’ activation programme.
Another initiative from Pepsi which displays its marketers ability to blend the worlds of sport, entertainment and innovation together to create fun and memorable consumer moments.
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