Hard Rock International is 50-years-old this year and to celebrate its milestone anniversary the restaurant, entertainment and hospitality brand has announced a partnership deal with superstar footballer Lionel Messi. The Argentina and FC Barcelona forward has become a brand ambassador for five years – the first athlete to partner with Hard Rock.
“I am honoured to partner with such a renowned brand as Hard Rock, and even more so at this historic moment – its 50th anniversary!” Messi said. “Sports and music are an integral part of my life, a perfect combination between my profession and my leisure time. Uniting both is a great success, and I am very happy that they have counted on me for this special outcome. It is an honour to be the first athlete to partner with a brand who has a history of teaming with music legends.”
Jim Allen, chairman of Hard Rock International and CEO of Seminole Gaming, added: “Over the past five decades, the Hard Rock brand has grown to become one of the world’s most recognisable and beloved brands, with a Cafe, Hotel or Casino located in 68 countries. As we reached our 50th anniversary milestone, we knew that we needed to partner with an icon to help us celebrate in a new and unexpected way, and there was no better choice than the legendary Lionel Messi.”
The partnership is part of “Live Greatness”, the new campaign that Hard Rock has launched on its 50th anniversary, which marks a before and after in the brand, “honouring its past and while shining a beacon of light towards the future”, the company said in a statement.
As part of the campaign, Messi makes his debut as an ambassador by starring in a commercial that unites his skills with a football as it takes its place among the cherished memorabilia of the brand.
New Messi collection
Hard Rock said the partnership looks back to the brand’s roots – as its world-famous T-shirts came to fruition when the original London Cafe sponsored a local football team in the early 1970s. The team T-shirt featured the simple Hard Rock logo. The extra shirts were returned to the cafe and then given away to loyal customers. Eventually the restaurant had to set up a separate concession stand to handle T-shirt sales. To this day, Hard Rock’s Classic T-shirt remains an integral part of the brand’s identity.
As part of the new partnership, Hard Rock has also unveiled a new collection of merchandise inspired by its new ambassador. In addition to the special 50th anniversary logo, the garments show some of the player’s most characteristic symbols, such as the lion, the No.10 and his own logo. This collection joins the brand’s iconic merchandising line, available in all its stores and online shop.