Where Football and Culture Collide

It was a tantalising prospect: two fan-centric takeovers taking place ahead of Manchester City’s season-defining fixture against Arsenal.

‍

With Asahi Super Dry the Global Partner for Manchester City and the Official Beer Partner for Arsenal, it was a brand derby like no other, with the title at stake. MatchFit was brought in to support with driving footfall to the activations, as well as help with positioning Asahi Super Dry at the intersection of football and culture, driving awareness with the core audiences within the sport and beyond.

In Manchester, Asahi Super Dry and VERSUS took over The Cross for a two-day takeover, with artist and designer Navinder Nangla customising over 200 limited-edition jerseys with his iconic 'Fassion Is My Pashion' slogan.

‍

Former Arsenal midfielder Patrick Vieira then sat down with Manchester City legend Steph Houghton to explore the rivalries that define the game and the ever-increasing influence of style on football. Interviews were set up with ITV Granada, SPORTbible, talkSPORT, showcasing the event space and outlining each talent’s role at the event.

In North London the following day, we packed a pub full of Arsenal fans and football content creators to watch the game and enjoy a fresh, crisp pint with Arsenal legend, David Seaman.  Sky Sports News and FourFourTwo also headed down to capture the pub takeover and interviewed David during the pre-match build up, with Asahi Super Dry branding impossible to miss.

‍

Across both cities, we ran coordinated pre-event activity to build anticipation with leading what’s on, trade media and regional publications, as well as ‘what’s on’ city-related influencers.

Both activations successfully embedded Asahi Super Dry into the heart of one of the season's most anticipated fixtures, directly engaging fans and a community of football content creators in both cities. By uniting cultural figures, football legends and dedicated supporters around the brand, the campaign drove meaningful affinity for Asahi Super Dry while amplifying awareness of its partnerships with both clubs.