Against some of the biggest players in the world of fragrances, an Australian company managed to convince Lionel Messi they were the right people to launch his new product.
Melbourne company Game On Product Group chased a deal with football superstar Lionel Messi to launch a new fragrance.What's next?Two Australian childhood friends have secured an extraordinary business coup by winning over Lionel Messi and acquiring the global rights to create and distribute the football legend's fragrance brand.
In a first for an Australian company, Melburnians Daryl Czarny and Elliot Rubenstein of Game On Product Group beat out a range of bidders from around the world and signed the eight-time Ballon d'or winner to a long term brand deal. A recent cryptic Instagram post from Collingwood showing Messi holding a Magpies guernsey — provided by massive Pies fan Rubenstein — suggested a link between the Argentine World Cup winner and Australia had been made. The reason for that has now been revealed after an 11th hour mission to Miami by the lifelong mates that helped lock the deal away.After making their video pitch along with other companies from all over the planet, the Aussies took matters into their own hands after talks had begun to stall. "We refused to take no for an answer," revealed the duo, who had requested a face-to-face meeting with Messi's father Jorge. A request to fly to the United States and meet the Messis anywhere and at any time they desired was also made, and out of the blue a response came granting them a face-to-face chat in Miami and one last chance to win over one of the world's greatest ever athletes."When we got word back that we had a meeting it was game on. We booked the next possible flight and clicked into gear. "We'd invested quite a lot emotionally and monetarily. We'd had a few zoom calls, but this was the first attempt to meet face-to-face. Argentinians to Australians was a big part of it, drawing similarities to our cultures. We both love our sport and a steak and red wine.The meeting with Messi's father in Miami eventuated and the pitch worked. After a two-hour presentation with interpreters in a South Beach Hotel, Jorge Messi stood up for a handshake and a hug with his new Aussie friends and the deal was done. A further two months of contract work with the famous footballer's legal and commercial team in Spain was required, and Messi's signature was eventually secured after a final five-hour meeting at his family office in Barcelona. "We signed it, went back to the hotel and up to the rooftop bar, cracked open a bottle of champagne, looked at ourselves and went, 'we did it!'," Rubenstein said. "But we said to each other we can celebrate this for a moment but now the real work starts. Signing him is only the beginning. Now we have a 10-year plan that we need to implement."A multimillion-dollar TV commercial has been shot with Messi on set while the legend himself has helped launch it by posting the advertising campaign to his 700 million followers on social media.ABC Sport Daily is your daily sports conversation. We dive into the biggest story of the day and get you up to speed with everything else that's making headlines. "He was an absolute professional and an absolute gentleman. The nicest, most humble guy you'll ever meet," Czarny said. Getting Messi involved in the business plan, rather than simply using his image, was a shrewd move from the Aussie team and seemed to agree with the football icon who has been hands on with the composition of the fragrance. And for the lifelong friends who went to kindergarten together, being in business with one of the most recognisable personalities on the planet is an achievement they still find hard to fathom. "We pinch ourselves all the time. Last week we were in France for a big fragrance trade show, with the biggest brands in the industry and we feel we now hold our own," Rubenstein said. "We're very proud. We believe that in business you have to have a healthy degree of confidence, and we always believed we could pull this off."Sports content to make you think... or allow you not to. A newsletter delivered each Saturday. 'Absolute mess': Clayton Oliver's drastic move to force Melbourne's hand, as shock pick swap lights up trade periodPhoto shows Matilda Scholz, seen from behind, marks a ball high above the pack in an AFLW game.Photo shows Australia batter Cameron Green squats in pain after being hit by a ball while batting in a Test against New Zealand.Photo shows Dana Coolwell posing with his fists in a boxing position, in front of a ring at the gymUnrest, Conflict and WarPhoto shows A composite image of a man and a womanPhoto shows Plibersek looks serious as she speaks to a camera in a corridor of parliament house.Renowned US author urges Australia to 'slay' the world's social media 'monsters', as children open up about harassment
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