International beer maker Heineken has named Liverpool and the Netherlands captain Virgil van Dijk as its latest brand ambassador. The beer company and premier league side centre back have penned a multi-year deal agreement negotiated by the newly launched sports marketing and content production agency Quattro Sports Group.
The agreement includes the followings:
- Van Dijk joins former Lioness Jill Scott MBE as an ambassador for Heineken
- Dutch captain will lead brand’s latest campaign ‘Cheers to the real hardcore fans’ to tackle negative fan stereotypes
- Campaign launched with TV commercial and social media promotions
“The ‘Real Hardcore’ fans make me proud and appreciative as a player,” van Dijk said in a statement. “I think reclaiming this phrase is important, the historic negative connotations are something we need to remove from the game, no one is born a racist, I think the key things to make change are education and communicating with each other.
“I hope we can be part of that change, that’s why I’m glad Heineken is challenging the perception of what a real fan is to show there is a place for everyone in the game.”
Heineken is the current sponsor of the Uefa Champions League competition, which the last 16 is currently underway.
Nabil Nasser, Global Head Of Heineken & Amstel Brands at Heineken, said: “There’s a minority of football fans that can spoil the game for everyone else, giving “hardcore” fans a bad name, but those problematic few don’t represent the majority.”
“Our new campaign is a witty twist on the “hardcore fan” stereotype, showing instead what hardcore fandom really looks like, celebrating the diverse group of people who truly live and breathe the sport in a positive, and sometimes quirky way.”