Nissan – the official Global Automotive Sponsor of the UEFA Champions League – announces its next commercial will feature Global Ambassador and Manchester City F.C. star, Sergio Agüero and Ana Rueda Hernandez, a student and part-time baker from Madrid.
The 24-year-old football-loving Spaniard was drafted in by Nissan to replace Global Ambassador and Real Madrid C.F. star Gareth Bale, who was unable to take part in the filming of the commercial due to the injury he sustained during Real Madrid C.F.’s fixture against Sporting Lisbon in the UEFA Champions League last November.
Ana was surprised by Gareth Bale in a video message inviting her to take his place on the shoot, alongside Sergio Agüero – a stark contrast to her day-to-day life spent studying, playing football for her local team CD Magerit and helping out in her mum’s bakery in Madrid.
The Real Madrid C.F. fan, whose favorite player also happens to be Gareth Bale, spoke of her shock upon receiving the message inviting her to take the place of her footballing hero: “I still don’t believe it. I am so excited this is happening to me. I have been playing football in the streets with my brothers since I was a child, and now to be picked up as Gareth Bale’s substitute is incredible. Gareth is my favorite player anyway – I wish I had the same left leg!”
Gareth even surprised Ana while she was filming and expressed his delight that his substitute was a female player: “I think it’s an amazing idea, and to give people chances, experiences and journeys that they would probably never get to experience is amazing. I’m sure she’ll do great!”
While filming alongside Nissan Global Ambassador, Sergio Agüero, Ana was even able to pick up some tips from the Manchester City F.C. striker, to take to the pitch: “At the beginning I was really nervous, but after a few minutes we started speaking in Spanish and telling each other about our lives, he was great.”
Vice President for Marketing Nissan Europe, Jean-Pierre Diernaz said: “The UEFA Champions League sponsorship has provided Nissan with access to some of the most passionate football fans in the world, and in return we promised to deliver fans unexpected access to the most exciting tournament on the planet. This is just one example of how we have been able to deliver this. We’re thrilled to be able to offer Ana the journey of a lifetime.”
The new Nissan commercials starring Ana and Sergio Agüero will be on air from the Spring.
The UEFA Champions League partnership is another example of Nissan’s dedication and growth in global sports, which includes: major international cricket events, such as the ICC Men’s and Women’s World Cups, the Canadian Football League, the Heisman Trust and Heisman Trophy, and the City Football Group, which includes the Manchester City, Melbourne City and New York City clubs. Nissan’s NCAA partnership in the US also marks the widest-reaching sponsorship in the history of collegiate sports – backing 100 colleges and universities, as well as select NCAA Championships – covering 22 sports. In addition, Nissan has a number of sporting ambassadors, including footballers Gareth Bale, Sergio Agüero and Andrés Iniesta.
