Guinness have teamed up with Rio Ferdinand and HeyHuman for a new, Pan-African partnership.

Guinness Night Football, which took place in January in Lagos, is the culmination of Guinness and HeyHuman’s campaign across the continent. Two hand-picked five-a-side teams, comprising consumers and African music celebrities, played a game in an aircraft hangar covered in fluorescent neon lights. The game, which was held at night, was also compèred by Ferdinand.

Guinness Night Football aimed to drive participation and consumption at scale for the brand through the event.

The entire event was neon-themed, which provided a backdrop for activities like tattoo stalls, 4D cinema, immersive visual displays, a ‘keepie-uppie’ challenge and a two-touch challenge – both of which Ferdinand took part in.

Nigerian singer Davido headlined musical proceedings, joined by Salatiel from Cameroon, Bebe Cool from Uganda and the group Sauti Sol from Kenya.

Consumers in the five-a-side teams were selected from previous, local Guinness Night Football events across Africa, which popped up in unexpected locations such as side-streets, bars and parks.

Managing partner and executive creative director at HeyHuman, Shnoosee Bailey, said: “We’ve worked with Guinness over the years to establish this legendary beer as a popular choice for 18 to 34 year-olds across the continent. It’s a dark beer but it’s bursting with character and colour – Guinness Night Football is the perfect representation of that, bringing an unexpected twist to football and appealing to fans, players and drinkers.

“Having Rio Ferdinand on board is one of the biggest endorsements we could get – it shows that the link between Guinness and football is authentic and credible beyond doubt. This event is going to be one for the books – Guinness Night Football’s unexpected activations are more engaging, exciting and emotionally charged than any other African football viewing experience. It provides an unparalleled, socially shareable event that once again embeds Guinness within Africa’s cultural tapestry.”

The Guinness Night Football Pan-African event took place on 31 January inside the airport hangar at Legend Hotel Lagos, Nigeria. It was broadcast in various highlights packages across the continent.