MESSI × HARD ROCK INTERNATIONAL

Global Ambassador Campaign

Art Direction — Redline Media Group
Client: Hard Rock International, in collaboration with Agency One, in partnership with Lionel Messi
Campaign: LIVE GREATNESS • Year: 2021
Messi Burger • A TASTE OF GREATNESS • Year: 2022
Messi Chicken Sandwich • GREATNESS HAPPENS HERE • Year: 2023
Hard Rock Messi Kids • CAPTAIN MESSI • Year: 2023
Messi Merch & Rock Shop retail

I directed a team of designers to ensure every piece across every market met brand, print, and production specifications, spanning an exceptionally wide range of formats: lightboxes, menus, window clings and wraps, table tops, posters, and large-scale out-of-home media, including hundreds of wrapped buses worldwide, Venice canal boats, and branded trains.

My Role

Overview

In June 2021, Hard Rock International signed a five-year global partnership with Lionel Messi — the brand's first athlete ambassador in its history. As Art Director at Redline Media Group, Hard Rock International's official creative agency, I led art direction on the Hard Rock Cafe side of this partnership, collaborating directly with Hard Rock's marketing department and Agency One (Messi's representing agency) across every campaign chapter of the alliance, from 2021 through its planned run in 2026.

Process

Hard Rock Messi Kids Menu & "Captain Messi" (October 2023) — Messi's first participation in the creation of a toy in his likeness: "Captain Messi," a superhero persona built to inspire kids toward their own greatness. Creative assets included a posable Captain Messi toy, sticker collections, and a superhero-themed kids menu (Messi X Burger, Golden Chicken Sandwich). Launch event at DRV PNK Stadium.

Messi Merch & Rock Shop Collection — Art direction for a full retail line built around Messi's personal iconography (the Number 10, the Lion, his signature logo), moving the collection away from traditional souvenir merchandise toward a streetwear-influenced lifestyle line — hoodies, track jackets, performance polos — including AR filter integration letting fans interact digitally with Messi through the apparel.

IMPACT

Across its five-year run, this partnership repositioned Hard Rock from a music-centered brand into a pop-culture and sports lifestyle destination, executed through hundreds of branded buses worldwide, global retail rollouts, and multi-year menu innovation.

"Live Greatness" (2021) — The foundational campaign, launched alongside Hard Rock's 50th anniversary, introduced Messi as the brand's first-ever athlete ambassador. Built around a call to action for fans to "live greatness" through excellence and authenticity, the visual direction blended Messi's sports-icon status with Hard Rock's rock-and-roll heritage. Rolled out across more than 50 countries and translated into dozens of languages.

The Messi Burger: "A Taste of Greatness" (March 2022) — A global menu launch built around Messi's favorite burger, shifting the partnership from ambassador imagery to a tangible product experience. Led food styling and hero photography highlighting the burger's signature ingredients (double-stack beef, provolone, chorizo, and more) within the "Greatness" visual system.

Messi Chicken Sandwich: "Greatness Happens Here" (July 2023) — A campaign built around a commercial featuring Messi as chef in the Hard Rock kitchen, timed to coincide with his arrival at Inter Miami. Visual direction blended behind-the-scenes "kitchen grit" with elevated sports photography.