In a spirited tribute to the quirks of football fans, Heineken has unveiled its latest campaign ahead of the UEFA Champions League Final on May 31st in Munich. Titled Cheers to the Superstitious Fans, the campaign features a playful yet heartfelt story about Marco Simeone, a devoted Inter Milan supporter who believes he’s a bad luck charm for his beloved team.
According to a global survey by Heineken, 45% of fans admit to stopping watching matches to avoid jinxing the result. Marco Simeone is no exception. Convinced that his physical presence curses his team’s chances, Marco has spent years watching from afar. Embracing this peculiar superstition, Heineken, in collaboration with creative agency LePub, has built a special viewing outpost for Marco in a remote corner of Germany — far from the action but close to the heart of football.
“Obviously I’d love to be there,” Marco shared, “but more than that, I want to see Inter Milan win, and if I’m at that stadium, it’s just not gonna happen. I’ve seen them lose everything from cup finals to friendlies. At least I won’t have to queue for a beer where I am!”
On the night of the final, dubbed “The Unlucky Charm,” Marco will watch the game from his solitary outpost. But he won’t be alone in spirit. Fans in the Munich fan zones will have the chance to thank him through live video calls, and football journalist Fabrizio Romano, along with legends Jill Scott and Thiago Alcântara, will join the celebrations to salute Marco’s unique brand of loyalty.
Nabil Nasser, global head of the Heineken brand, said, “At Heineken®, we’ve always believed that football is nothing without its fans—and that includes the wonderfully superstitious ones. Whether it’s wearing the same shirt, sitting in the same seat, or, in this case, staying away from the action, these rituals are a huge part of what makes fandom so special. The bar is our way of celebrating that devotion, and one fan’s heroic choice to support their team from a very safe distance.”
Jill Scott MBE echoed the sentiment, saying, “Superstitions around football may seem irrational to an outsider, but they’re part of the soul of fandom. Fans don’t mess with fate.”
For Bruno Bertelli, global CEO of LePub and CCO of LePub Worldwide, the campaign is about turning bad luck into an act of devotion: “With ‘Unlucky Charm,’ we turned superstition into a cinematic story: part myth, part comedy, all heart.”
This marks another chapter in Heineken’s three-decade partnership with the UEFA Champions League, celebrating the unique traditions that make the sport — and its fans — so captivating. Marco’s remote safehouse may be miles away from the stadium, but it’s a testament to how far fans will go to support their teams, even if it means watching alone with a cold Heineken in hand — just in case it helps.
Fans around the world can follow Marco’s unique journey on Heineken’s social media channels, where the campaign will roll out globally with a hero film, short-form videos, and vivid visuals highlighting this one-of-a-kind act of football devotion.
