Guinness Celebrates Football Rituals in Global Campaign

By The Malketeer

When beer and football meet, the chemistry is almost ritualistic.

Guinness has tapped directly into that shared passion with its new global campaign, “Lovely Day for Guinness”, celebrating its flagship sponsorship of the Premier League.

Crafted with London agency AMV BBDO, the campaign doesn’t romanticise football through polished studio lenses.

Instead, it shines a spotlight on the lived realities of fandom from nail art painted in club colours, DJs spinning beats from balcony windows overlooking stadiums, to the time-honoured pre-game pint.

Fans from all 20 Premier League clubs are represented, bringing a raw energy that transcends geography.

For Guinness, it’s less about the scoreline and more about the emotional heartbeat of matchday — the rituals, superstitions, and bonds that define football communities.

Beyond the Pitch: Belonging

Somnath Dasgupta, global marketing director of Guinness, framed the campaign as a natural evolution of its first season as Official Beer and Non-Alcoholic Beer of the Premier League.

“More than a game, the Premier League has enabled Guinness to become part of rituals, traditions and moments of belonging that enrich the football viewing occasion,” he said.

That word — belonging — is key.

At a time when global brands often chase scale at the expense of cultural nuance, Guinness is betting on the hyper-local truths of fandom to travel universally.

Big Media, Real Stories

The campaign is no small investment.

Scheduled to appear across 215 live Sky Sports broadcasts with over 200 commercials throughout the season, it is backed by heavyweight media planning and buying from PHD.

The ambition: to ensure that Guinness doesn’t just sponsor football, but becomes woven into the fabric of how football is watched, remembered, and celebrated.

Will Brookwell and Louis Prenaud, creatives at AMV BBDO, underlined the creative intent:

“These aren’t actors pretending to be fans, they’re the real people who truly show their love for their team week in, week out. We wanted to show football culture as it truly is: unfiltered, emotional, and grounded in the truth.”

What Malaysian Brands Can Learn

For marketers in Malaysia, where football culture runs deep from packed mamak stalls during late-night kick-offs to the sea of jerseys worn on casual Fridays, the Guinness campaign offers sharp lessons:

• Celebrate Rituals, Not Just Results Fans often recall where they were, who they were with, and what they ate or drank when a match was played. Brands that honour those micro-rituals gain deeper cultural traction.
• Authenticity Travels By showcasing real fans, Guinness avoids the trap of glossy, manufactured emotion. For Malaysian brands, whether in sports, F&B, or lifestyle, authenticity remains the most exportable asset.
• Integration is Key Guinness is not limiting its message to a few high-profile ads. Instead, it’s embedding the campaign into the weekly rhythm of football with repeated, consistent presence across broadcasts.

Malaysia may not host Premier League games, but it hosts some of the most passionate fans outside the UK.

For brands hoping to earn a place in that space, Guinness has provided a playbook: respect the rituals, amplify the passion, and position your product as part of the emotional landscape of the game.

Because in the end — as Guinness reminds us — win or lose, when you’re with your people and holding a pint, every match day can be a lovely day.