EXCLUSIVE: Lionel Messi Features Solo in New Louis Vuitton Campaign
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There could only be one winner.
Following his viral Louis Vuitton campaign with Cristiano Ronaldo last November, Lionel Messi has returned solo for a second advertisement for the French luxury brand.
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While the first image unveiled showed the world’s two leading soccer players deadlocked in a game of chess inspired by a match that famously ended in a draw, the World Cup subsequently designated Messi as the winner as he led Argentina to victory for the first time since 1986.
The Paris Saint-Germain player was photographed by Glen Luchford for the “Horizons Never End” campaign, in which he poses in an airport setting alongside Vuitton’s Horizon suitcase designed by Marc Newson. The first chapter breaks internationally in print and on Louis Vuitton social channels on Friday.
First launched in 2016, the ultra lightweight case is made of molded mesh composite covered in a specially developed Monogram or Damier canvas and trimmed with natural cowhide.
The initial ad featuring Messi and Ronaldo scored big online, helping Ronaldo become the first person to pass 500 million followers on Instagram.
It was in the lineage of Vuitton’s 2010 Core Values campaign featuring legendary players Pele, Maradona and Zinedine Zidane playing table football.
Between 2008 and 2017, Messi and Ronaldo between them claimed every Ballon d’Or, the award given to the world’s best male footballer, and Messi has won it twice more since then.
Vuitton, which has a history of making trophy cases for sports including tennis, basketball, rugby and Formula 1, has had a partnership with FIFA, soccer’s international governing body, since 2010. In addition to designing the travel case for the World Cup trophy, it has launched a capsule collection of soccer-themed leather goods.
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