The El Clásico, one of the most competitive soccer games, has always been a favorite topic for fans to talk about. However, this time it became a headline not because of the players related issue or any other on-pitch tactical issue; football giant Barcelona is set to surprise the fans in a different way in the upcoming El Clásico, which will take place on October 16th at Santiago Bernabéu.
🦉 @Drake 💙❤
First artist to hit 50 billion @Spotify streams. First artist to share the @FCBarcelona shirt. pic.twitter.com/cBiHjge5FG— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) October 14, 2022
For the first time ever, Barcelona is replacing their sponsor’s logo (Spotify) with the famous OVO owl logo of the Canadian rapper Drake, whose music has been streamed more than 50 billion times on Spotify. This is a tribute to Drake as he is the first musician in the world who is setting a record. In a BBC interview, Barca’s marketing vice-president Juli Guiu stated:
“For the first time in our history, we are replacing the name of our main sponsor on the front of the jersey with an internationally acclaimed artist, Drake. This initiative shows our potential to become a unique platform to offer experiences that help bring us closer to our fans while reaching out to new audiences around the world.”
Basically, it is a promotional campaign between Barcelona and Spotify. As they claim their relationship is beyond sponsorship, it is more likely to be defined as a strategic alliance. Still, Drake was so happy that he could not believe that, out of respect, one of the revered clubs would replace their sponsor’s logo with his own. The Canadian rapper posted on Instagram:
“To celebrate being the first artist with 50 billion streams on @spotify @FCBarcelona will wear the OVO owl at El Clasico on Sunday 😵💫 this doesn’t feel real but it is 😂🤷🏽♂️”
However, this will be a crucial match for both teams in their quest to win La Liga. Though Barca has won the last five league matches but failed to qualify for the second round of the UEFA Champions League, while Real Madrid have won four of the last five league matches and drawn once, still with home advantage, they will be the favorite side for the upcoming thrilling match
