Barclays celebrates 20 years of Premier League sponsorship with new campaign

With real-life snippets and documentary-style interview footage of Reece and Lauren James, professional football players, and siblings, Barclays celebrates 20 years of sponsoring Premier League, through the siblings' love for football, in the new campaign.

The campaign by Barclays will appear both as a three-minute online documentary and as a 30-second TV ad, running on television in the UK on channels including Sky Sports, and in the US on NBC. The film focuses on Reece and Lauren James, their love for football seeded when they were infants, and their journey until now.

Reece James is a Chelsea FC Premier League player whilst Lauren is in the FA Women's Super League for Chelsea. The advert also underlines the Barclays FA Women's Super League's title patronage by the bank and its participation in grassroots projects.

Also Read: OkCupid campaign offers inclusivity with eccentric visuals

The film was created by agency Iris and directed by Charlie Watts at Rogue films. Ross Taylor, Creative Director, Iris, in a statement shares, “Growing up, Lauren and Reece James have only ever known Barclays football. They’re the perfect siblings to share the Barclays 20-year commitment story across both the Premier League and now the Barclays FA Women's Super League. It’s an exciting time for the game with a brilliant inclusivity message too".

The push is notable for emphasizing both the men's and women's games. In the extended version of the film, Jameses' father walks us through their children's soccer journey. They remember growing up watching the Premier League and being inspired by legends like Didier Drogba and then being professionally signed. It concludes, "For 20 years, Barclays has been committed to football, and it's still all to play for."