Jameson Heads Deeper Into Soccer Fandom With J Balvin, KidSuper, and MLS

Jameson wants soccer fans to bring more than just noise.

The Pernod Ricard-owned whiskey brand has launched "It’s What You Bring," a new campaign built around the rituals, personalities, and communities that surround the soccer fan base.

Timed alongside the MLS season and this summer’s global tournament, the campaign pushes Jameson further into football through music, fashion, and live fan experiences.

At the center is Colombian music star J Balvin, who appears in the campaign’s hero film alongside fashion label KidSuper founder Colm Dillane.

The film sees soccer as something that follows you outside of the 90-minutes, spotlighting the energy of watch parties, neighborhood kickabouts, chants, and celebrations.

"Music and soccer have always been a major creative catalyst for me — especially the way they connect people everywhere, instantly," said Balvin.

"Teaming up with Jameson for ‘It’s What You Bring’ aligns perfectly with what I aim to do through my music: bring people together."

For Jameson, the campaign is an earnest effort to be part of fans' everyday lives. 

This approach centers on how supporters express identity around the game, whether through clothing, gatherings, or local traditions tied to matchdays.

Furthermore, the brand is also using fashion as a major entry point.

The company partnered with KidSuper on a nine-piece capsule collection featuring soccer jerseys, hoodies, hats, tracksuits, and t-shirts inspired by both Irish heritage and New York streetwear aesthetics.

"Working with Jameson on this capsule collection, and appearing in the ‘It’s What You Bring’ hero film, gives me the chance to honor my Irish heritage and the culture that fuels my work," said Dillane.

Notably, the collaboration was teased earlier this year during Paris Fashion Week before the official release tied to the campaign rollout.

Matchdays Beyond the Bottle

As part of its MLS brand partnership, Jameson is also introducing limited-edition bottles inspired by clubs, including:

• LA Galaxy
• Chicago Fire FC
• New York City FC
• Orlando City SC

Each bottle includes QR-enabled sweepstakes entries tied to the MLS All-Star Game in Charlotte.

Additionally, the company will be building local fan experiences across Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, New York City, Orlando, and San Diego.

These efforts include official watch parties, in-stadium activations, sampling events, giveaways, and viewing experiences tied to major global soccer moments throughout the season.

"It’s been said that good things come in threes, and there’s no better proof of that than our Jameson partnerships with J Balvin, Colm Dillane of KidSuper, and Major League Soccer," said Colin Kavanagh, CMO of Pernod Ricard North America.

Soccer attention in the U.S. is continuing to rise ahead of the 2026 World Cup cycle.

As a matter of fact, this year's tournament is expected to see over 6 billion viewers, making it essential for brands linked to the sport to seize the marketing opportunity. 

And for Jameson, it's treating the football fandom as a lifestyle category more than just your ordinary seasonal sponsorship opportunity.

Jameson’s Soccer Push

Major sporting moments will always be a marketing goldmine.

This can be true for Jameson, who shows the value of building participation instead of just visibility:

• Sports partnerships become stronger when brands connect with fan rituals instead of focusing solely on athletes or teams.
• Fashion collaborations can bring more life to a campaign, turning limited-edition merchandise into social conversation and collectible identity markers.
• Large sponsorships feel more authentic when local activations create real-world experiences that fans can physically join throughout the season.

The bigger question now is whether Jameson can keep the momentum going once the global tournament excitement fades and everyday league play returns.

Our Take: Can Whiskey Own Matchday?

Jameson understands something a lot of brands still miss about soccer, and that's how the game itself is only half the experience.

The real emotional currency lives outside the stadium gates, inside crowded apartments, noisy bars, pickup courts, and group chats arguing over lineups two hours before kickoff.

It's easy to picture the exact people Jameson wants here because we all know them already.

The guy wearing the same lucky jersey every matchday. The friend organizing the watch party. The crew treating a regular MLS fixture like a cup final.

Jameson slid naturally into the social side of the sport, where drinks, music, and fashion exist together.

This is what makes its campaign particularly effective, and above all, feel natural. 

In other news, Gatorade recently revived its iconic "Is It In You?" platform by focusing on sweat, science, and football performance storytelling.

Global brands building sports campaigns need creative partners who understand how to carry a single concept across markets and formats.

Explore these top creative agencies in our directory.