Messi’s Más+ Hydration Brand Enters Market with Global Tournament Launch

Football legend Lionel Messi is kicking off his new hydration brand with a global football tournament he’s backing personally.

To introduce Más+ by Messi, the football star has launched "The 1v1 World Crown," a live tournament calling street footballers to compete in five global cities.

The brand activation is the brand’s first major play, and it’s promoting its drink by making a spectacle.

The matches will begin August 2 in Los Angeles, followed by stops in Toronto, London, and Dublin.

The tournament will then culminate in a showdown in Miami judged by Messi himself.

“We didn’t want to just show Messi. We wanted to build a world that reflects what he stands for,” said Sophie Van Ettinger, VP of global brands at Mark Anthony Group.

“‘The 1v1 World Crown’ is pure football energy. This is a brand launch that gives power to the people who play, not just those who watch.”

The brand’s product launch strategy moves away from traditional product ads and leans fully into the idea of experience-as-message.

Messi stars in the campaign’s hero film as a gatekeeper of this new competitive world, not just its sponsor.

The campaign was developed by creative agency VCCP, which also handled experiential, PR, and content through its sister teams Girl&Bear and Bernadette.

Real Games, Real Cities

The campaign's hero spot sees Messi on his tablet, watching amateur players show off their skills as he drinks a bottle of Más.

A narrator explains the mechanics of the 1v1 tournament, as flashy and fast-paced football sequences grace the viewer.

To end the spot, Messi holds up the Más crown, asking viewers who will step up to the challenge to claim it.

Ahead of the announcement, Messi was spotted with a mysterious gold box in Miami, a seeded stunt to spark intrigue among influencers.

That teaser led into the official reveal of the 1v1 format, giving grassroots players a shot at international glory.

Participants can sign up online, and real-time content from the events, including short-form video, social graphics, and influencer commentary, will form the campaign’s media backbone.

Julian Douglas, group CEO at VCCP, described the approach as more immersive than most product pushes.

“Messi is the greatest 1v1 player of all time, and his new hydration drink, Más+, is here to fuel a new generation of ballers," he explained.

"We built a world fans can step into, with real events, real cities, and real stakes," he explained. 

With a focus on competition, local sign-ups, and audience participation, the campaign positions Más+ as a brand born from Messi’s identity.

Something is refreshing about seeing a celebrity brand lead with action, not ad copy.

As a marketing strategy, it’s risky but smart because it lets the brand speak through the culture that Messi's fans already participate in.

And if the events feel real, the brand will, too.

Recently, Adidas launched a spot where Messi and Patrick Mahomes go head-to-head on treadmills in a silent showdown of friendly rivalry.

Messi launched his brand with presence. These firms help brands lead with real-world relevance: