Celebrating the UAE’s passion for football, Pepsi creates once-in-a-lifetime experience, inviting fans to challenge the King of Nutmegs himself to a game at JBR
Dubai, United Arab Emirates – 7 December 2022 – Pepsi® created a once-in-a-lifetime fan experience at The Beach, JBR, headlined by long-time ambassador, Brazilian football legend, Ronaldinho. Fresh from his performance in Pepsi’s epic football film ‘Nutmeg Royale’ that launched last month, the former world champion and Nutmeg King delighted fans in Dubai by showing off his fast footwork on The Beach, before challenging onlookers to the ultimate battle on a one of a kind, custom-built Pepsi Nutmeg Foosball Table.
Modeled after the sport’s most mischievous move, the Pepsi Nutmeg Foosball Table spices up the classic game by introducing players with parted legs, allowing competitors to nutmeg their opponent. Much like a nutmeg on the pitch, this novel upgrade creates an additional challenge and fuels a thirst for the exciting and unexpected that is all too familiar when a nutmeg takes place in real life. Ronaldinho ‘captained’ the Pepsi team, wearing the same jersey from the recent Pepsi x AOF collection – a collection that pays homage to the brand’s iconic 00’s football strip that first premiered 20 years ago – as his miniature teammates. Fans who were skilled enough to successfully complete a nutmeg on the table won well-earned bragging rights.
Ronaldinho’s surprise visit to Dubai to launch the Pepsi Nutmeg Foosball Table is a prime example of Pepsi’s unparalleled ability to seamlessly bring the worlds of football, entertainment and innovation together to create fun, memorable and historical moments for their consumers and football fans across the globe.
Commenting on the Pepsi Nutmeg Foosball Table, Ronaldinho said: “Celebrating the launch of the Pepsi Nutmeg Foosball Table by surprising football fans was such a thrilling experience. It’s always a pleasure to work alongside Pepsi 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 favorite skills was a lot of fun.”
With more than two decades of iconic football campaigns under its belt, Pepsi has created some of the most unforgettable moments for fans around the world, starring the greatest sporting talent of all time. Ronaldinho’s surprising appearance in Dubai showcases the continuation of Pepsi’s rich heritage in football entertainment that has long-championed global talent – both on and off the pitch. Seamlessly bringing the worlds of football and entertainment together as only Pepsi can, the campaign brings fans from around the world together, to celebrate their love for the game.
Aamer Sheikh, CEO PepsiCo Middle East said: “Dubai is a city of world firsts, and I can think of no place better suited to launch the one-of-a-kind, custom-built Pepsi Nutmeg Foosball Table. Pepsi shares the same flair for innovation and entertainment and, of course, a passion for football, connecting people from all over the world through their love of the game. We are thrilled to share this experience with Ronaldinho, our long time Pepsi ambassador and the king of nutmegs and bring once-in-a-lifetime experiences to our fans.”
Fans can join the fun and play the Pepsi Nutmeg Foosball Table for themselves by visiting the Pepsi Thirsty for More pop up on The Beach, opposite JBR from November 30th to December 14th, 2022.
To stay up to date with the latest news and updates on all things ‘Nutmeg Royale’ follow the Pepsi Arabia channels on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook and check out the full Ronaldinho Nutmegs Dubai video here.
