Liverpool FC is thanking millions of supporters worldwide with its own Christmas campaign.
Titled "Nice One," the multimedia campaign carries a simple message: "To the world's greatest fans, nice one."
Notably, it marks the club's most extensive seasonal marketing initiative in its 134-year history.
According to Liverpool, it has activities planned across 24 cities in 16 countries and five continents.
The campaign is spearheaded by "Dear Reds," a film featuring men's first-team captain Virgil van Dijk, Alexis Mac Allister, Alisson Becker and Florian Wirtz.
Available in 60- and 30-second versions, the film puts the players in the position of thanking the supporters who have followed the club through its successes and difficult periods.
Its closing message makes the relationship between the team and its audience explicit.
"This club doesn't belong to us. But we're honoured to represent it. And it's an honour to play for you. To the world's greatest fans, nice one," stars from the club said one by one.
Liverpool's decision to devise the campaign through its own marketing operation gives the project an interesting dimension for brands with established internal creative capabilities.
The assignment also reflects the scale of Liverpool's international marketing operation.
The club claims it has more than 450 million supporters worldwide, giving its seasonal campaign an audience that goes far beyond the city.
Hannah Pym, Senior VP of marketing and digital at Liverpool FC, said the campaign reflects how much the club's identity depends on its supporters.
"With 'Nice One', we're putting the world's greatest fans at the heart of our Christmas campaign and delivering football's biggest ever thank you to the people who help make this club so special," she said.
The initiative gives Liverpool another opportunity to communicate its identity, using its players, supporters, and international network to reach audiences everywhere.
Supporters Take Center Stage
The campaign's creative direction draws heavily on material captured by Liverpool supporters themselves.
Fan-shot photographs and videos take over the creative, letting the audience play a role in the campaign's visuals.
Its international rollout will cover locations where Official Liverpool Supporters Clubs operate, with the club planning activity in 24 cities across 16 countries.
Liverpool also plans to introduce additional fan-focused activations and giveaways throughout the festive period.
Some will be organized with commercial partners PayPal, Carlsberg and Expedia, although the club has yet to announce the complete schedule.
The campaign will also connect with the Liverpool FC Foundation's Christmas Magic initiative, which provides for families across the Liverpool City Region during the holiday season.
Last year's program reached more families than any previous edition, with food assistance among its central efforts.
Lastly, Liverpool is also offering free admission to its museum until November 30 for supporters who book online and enter the promotional code "Nice One."
Together, these activities give supporters many ways to interact with the club, from digital content and retail promotions to community programs and physical experiences.
Why Liverpool's In-House Approach Matters
Liverpool's campaign happens as more advertisers take responsibility for creative work internally.
The Association of National Advertisers (ANA) found in its 2023 study that 82% of its members had an in-house agency, up from 78% in 2018.
However, internal capabilities rarely eliminate the need for outside help.
The same research found that 92% of respondents continued working with external agencies, often because of capacity constraints or specialist skills.
Lucky for Liverpool, it has the audience reach to support this approach.
The club reports more than 227 million social media followers and 1.5 billion engagements during the previous season.
Research across 22 international markets also found that 31% of respondents considered Liverpool influential in culture, ranking it ahead of the other football clubs surveyed.
The campaign offers three lessons for brands building internal marketing capabilities.
Give Internal Teams Ownership of the Big Idea
Brands should allow internal marketers to shape major seasonal campaigns when they understand the audience and the business.
Liverpool's own team devised a Christmas initiative spanning 16 countries, giving the club control over its central message.
Make Existing Audiences Part of the Creative
Marketers should use customer contributions as recognizable campaign material.
Liverpool incorporates supporter-shot photographs and videos, giving its global community a visible role in the campaign.
Connect Marketing With Commercial Partners
Brands should give sponsorship partners meaningful roles in seasonal campaigns.
The campaign gives Liverpool's marketing operation a substantial international assignment.
And like most efforts, its campaign performance figures will help establish just how much the club handled internally.
Our Take: Who Knows Football Fans Better Than the Club?
A football club hears from its supporters every week.
Its staff read the replies, work with the supporters clubs, and see who shows up on matchday.
And no agency brief can reproduce that kind of knowledge.
Liverpool’s team used it well.
Its "thank you" message was effective because it came from the stars themselves, and it would have been a totally different story if it hadn't.
The fan-shot photos and videos show the same advantage to a self-made campaign.
People inside the club know which moments matter most to supporters, and they can pick material that fans see as their own.
In short, we think gratitude is the one message football clubs should always write themselves.
Outside partners can help with production and reach, but the words and the idea should come from people who stand in the same stadium as the fans.
Looking for a partner that can sharpen your brand platform, keep a campaign consistent across channels, or manage creative for a complex product?
Explore these top brand positioning agencies on DesignRush.
