Mission Series with Julio César & Lloyd Griffith
Icon International was commissioned by Whisper TV to produce and direct a series of branded films for Enterprise Rent-A-Car, created as part of the brand’s long-standing sponsorship of the UEFA Europa League.
Filmed in Lisbon, the series brought together Brazilian goalkeeping legend Julio César and comedian and presenter Lloyd Griffith for a playful exploration of one of football’s most demanding positions: the goalkeeper.
The films formed part of Enterprise’s Mission Series, a UEFA digital content format designed to take audiences beyond the match itself. For this edition, the creative focused on the skills, reflexes and split-second decision-making required of elite goalkeepers, combining football challenges with conversation, analysis and plenty of humour. The original brief specifically set out to celebrate the often undervalued role of the goalkeeper and explore what it takes to become one of the best.
With Julio César bringing the experience of a Champions League-winning goalkeeper and Lloyd bringing a rather different level of footballing expertise, the pairing gave the films an easy chemistry and allowed the branded content to remain entertaining and personality-led rather than feeling like conventional sponsorship messaging.
Directed by Nick Bolger, Icon worked with Whisper TV to deliver the production in Lisbon, providing production and camera support and capturing a bank of content designed to work across multiple digital platforms. The campaign strategy combined longer-form films with shorter social edits and highlights, allowing individual pieces to be rolled out across the Europa League season.
The result was a light-hearted football series that placed Enterprise naturally within the world of the UEFA Europa League, using two very different personalities, one world-class goalkeeper and a healthy dose of competitive spirit to connect with football fans.