Thierry Henry fronts Lays ‘No Lay’s No Game’ campaign celebrating UEFA Champions League partnership

Crisp brand Lay’s has launched its ‘No Lay’s No Game’ campaign to celebrate the countdown to crunch time in the 2022-2023 UEFA Champions League (UCL) tournament. The campaign focuses on the idea that a UEFA Champions League game is not worth watching without a bag of Lay’s. The brand has been a partner of the competition for almost a decade.

To launch the campaign, the brand partnered with FIFA World Cup France 1998 Champion, two-time Premier League Champion, three-time FA Cup Winner and 2009 UEFA Champions League winner, Thierry Henry, to make sure fans were match-day ready with their Lay’s.

Henry stars in a video titled, ‘Thierry Visits’, in which the football legend unexpectedly visits Barcelona fans in their homes to see if they are prepared for the game with plenty of Lay’s crisps. If they were, Henry stayed to watch the match with them, but if they were Lay’s-less, he left in search of other supporters who were better prepared.

“I’ve had the privilege of playing all over the world and have lifted many trophies in front of millions of amazing supporters,” said Henry. “None of that prepared them for the utter surprise of me knocking on their doors to watch a match together if they had Lay’s crisps. It was especially meaningful to do so in Barcelona where I have so many fans from our 2009 UCL Championship. Partnering with Lay’s to kick-off ‘No Lay’s, No Game’ was all about connecting with the fans and communities that are so dedicated to this amazing game. I had a blast creating this experience with Lay’s and my fans who mean so much to me. I hope I helped to ensure that football fans always know that it is unthinkable to watch the big match without Lay’s. So, stay ready…you never know when who will pop up next!”

Lay’s commitment to football includes the brand’s ‘Lay’s RePlay ‘program, which helps underserved communities get access to pitches to play the game they love. The program transforms empty crisp bags into football pitches across the globe. Since the first Lay’s RePlay pitch launched in 2021, the initiative has provided over 5,000 hours of programming, positively impacting nearly 50,000 community members. Later this year, Lay’s is opening multiple new pitches worldwide to enable more inclusion, access and joy to young footballers who might dream to one day compete in the UEFA Champions League.

“As the official snack partner of the UEFA Champions League, we understand that a huge part of football culture is the camaraderie created through sharing the experience with friends and the most anticipated guest at the party is always the perfect snack…Lay’s Potato Chips,” said Ciara Dilley ,Vice-president of Marketing, Global Food Brands, at PepsiCo. “For years, our chips have been an integral part of the football experience, adding to and fueling the passion and intensity fans show for this beautiful game. Without Lay’s, there is no game. We are so proud to enlist a legend like Thierry Henry to help football fans across the globe build bonds and to serve as the only snack that makes the game complete.”