Guinness highlights footie rituals for Foreign Extra Stout

Guinness is putting real football fans at the heart of a new campaign for Guinness Foreign Extra Stout, and deepen recognition of Guinness as the Official Beer of the Premier League across key markets, including Africa and Asia.

Inspired by the extraordinary passion of fans who follow the Premier League from afar, the campaign celebrates supporters who live the league intensely across distance, with the aim of showing that fandom is not limited by geography – it is built in communities, shared rituals, and the belief that matchday is bigger than the 90 minutes.

The creative idea is in the fact that Guinness Foreign Extra Stout is called extra because it was originally brewed with extra hops and a higher gravity than Guinness Draught to help preserve the beer during long sea voyages. In the same spirit, the films spotlight fans whose devotion travels through extra support, extra fandom and extra belief, even thousands of miles from their clubs.

Developed in partnership with VML UK, the campaign launches with a documentary-style spot directed by Arthur Neumeier, set in Kenya.

Shot using a blend of 16mm analogue film and digital footage, the films capture the texture of matchday fandom as it is really lived – from braided hair and customised merchandise to neighbourhood viewing rituals including moments such as a gospel service, a devoted fan who designs and makes his own kits, and a salon creating football-inspired braids.

The campaign is now live across TV, social and digital channels with out-of-home to follow, with local rollout.

Guinness global marketing director Somnath Dasgupta said: “The best way to tell this story was to let fans lead it. Football fandom gives people a space to really belong and that feeling is built as much in the shared emotions and rituals around matchday as it is in the game itself.

“With ‘Guinness Extra’, we’re boldly elevating the fan experience by putting real Premier League supporters at the centre of the story, in a way that reflects the same ‘Extra’ character Foreign Extra Stout is known for.”

VML UK chief creative officer Ryan McManus added: “Guinness has an incredible history of storytelling, and Guinness Extra is a chance to write the next chapter with the people who actually live it.

“We went into communities across Africa and South-East Asia to find the fans who don’t just watch the Premier League – they wear it, drive it, and build their lives around it. Our job was to honour that energy with the same level of craft and emotion Guinness is known for.”

Guinness is now in its second season as the Official Beer and Official Non‑Alcoholic Beer of the Premier League and continues to grow its football footprint, including new club partnerships with Arsenal, Aston Villa and Newcastle United. In its debut season, Guinness activated its Premier League partnership in more than 80 countries.