Over the next couple of months, Carlsberg has agreed to partner with talkSPORT in an attempt to discover a fan who can match the knowledge and passion of the talkSPORT football pundits. Carlsberg is not new to football or its sponsorships. Carlsberg is an iconic brand which has sponsored teams such as Liverpool and has continually been serving beers to football fans for over 20 years. Carlsberg’s influence has continued to grow with the exclusive pouring rights with major Premier League teams such as Arsenal, Tottenham, and Liverpool. Carlsberg’s search for a public football pundit is just one example of the many attempts that Carlsberg has made to become part of the football culture.
Carlsberg has launched a nationwide search with talkSPORT to give one football fan their big break on national radio. The People’s Pundit championed by the Carlsberg Fan Squad will invite fans to showcase their punditry skills by swapping the terraces, pub or sofa, for the world’s biggest sports radio station.
The search is looking for a fan that has a Hansen’esque ability to dissect zonal marking having spent years watching their team’s defensive frailties exposed. Carlsberg is on the hunt for a fan that combines the knowledge of Gary Neville and the passion that Stan Collymore brings to talkSPORT listeners every weekend. Fans can submit a video entry showcasing their skills to www.ThePeoplesPundit.co.uk.
Insight from the Carlsberg Fan Squad found that fans were bored of the run of the mill clichés and sit-on-the-fence pundits who were more interested in protecting their future employment opportunities. As the official beer of football, Carlsberg has acted and provided a once in a lifetime opportunity for a real fan to have their voice heard.
The People’s Pundit championed by the Carlsberg Fan Squad will be spearheaded by the voice of football, Jeff Stelling. Jeff commented on the search: “If Carlsberg did punditry, they’d probably be fans just like you. We’re on the hunt for the fan whose opinion makes his or her mates stop and listen. If you think your knowledge of left-footed European strikers is wasted on your work colleagues, upload your entry now!”
Fans aged 18 years and older can submit their entry by recording their punditry on their favourite game on a smart phone or webcam, and uploading it to Facebook, YouTube or Vimeo. Fans then share the link on www.ThePeoplesPundit.co.uk to complete the process. Entries close on the 2nd March 2015.
A judging panel including Jeff, talkSPORT and Carlsberg will shortlist 30 pundits to attend five regional pub challenges in March and April where they will take part in two challenges in front of a live pub audience. Five regional winners will then attend a ‘boot camp’ with talkSPORT’s chief pundit, Mark Saggers, where the People’s Pundit will be crowned. The winner will then join the talkSPORT team on the final day of the season.