- Cadbury has launched its "Win For Your Squad" campaign fronted by Virgil van Dijk, Declan Rice, Lauren James, and football legend Ian Wright, giving fans the chance to hang out with their chosen star alongside up to 10 friends or family members.
- The campaign, created by agency VCCP, features three 20-second films: Rice gaming with friends, Van Dijk at a bowling alley, and James helping a fan browse records at a music store, all directed by Zak Razvi through VCCP's Girl&Bear Studios.
- The campaign is timed ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, reinforcing Cadbury's long-running brand identity around generosity and shared experiences.
Cadbury has unveiled its latest football-driven push, “Win For Your Squad,” tapping Virgil van Dijk, Declan Rice, Lauren James, and Ian Wright to lead a nationwide activation built around shared wins rather than solo glory.
The campaign sits at the heart of three 20-second films directed by Zak Razvi through VCCP’s Girl&Bear Studios, placing each footballer inside an authentic friendship group scenario: Rice in a late-night gaming session, Van Dijk joining a bowling outing, and James helping someone pick out a record.
QR codes are placed directly on Cadbury packaging for consumers to scan and enter via a dedicated website, where they can select which football star they want to meet alongside their own squad. The campaign runs until July 20, 2026, squarely timed to capitalise on World Cup fever.
Van Dijk, a confirmed Cadbury ambassador, previously starred in a JBL global campaign alongside Nico Williams. Beyond football endorsements, the Liverpool captain also holds deals with Nike and EA Sports, and extended his Liverpool contract until 2027 in April 2025.
Rice, who recently fronted Celsius’ World Cup campaign alongside Diplo and Hirving Lozano, has been building a sharp commercial portfolio that also includes Adidas SPZL and a partnership with L’Oréal Paris announced in late 2025.
Lauren James arrives in the campaign on the back of a career-defining moment, signing a new Chelsea contract until 2030 in March 2026, with former England star Karen Carney publicly backing her for a future Ballon d’Or.
Cadbury’s football ambassador history runs deep: Ian Wright has been a long-standing brand ambassador, and the brand previously partnered with Harry Kane on endorsements. The “Win For Your Squad” strategy now pushes into group-experience territory, a notable evolution from traditional one-winner prize models.
Takeaways
Cadbury is making a smart World Cup play here. Rather than dropping a typical TV spot with players kicking a ball around in branded gear, they’ve engineered an experience-first campaign that asks fans to win a moment, not just a product.
By centring the prize on groups of up to 10, they’ve turned every entry into a social conversation, and every winner into organic content. The mix of Van Dijk, Rice, and James is also deliberate: men’s football, women’s football, and cross-generational appeal all covered in one roster.
Brands paying attention to this model should note how Cadbury is using football’s biggest summer moment without owning a single piece of official World Cup IP.
With Lauren James being touted for Ballon d’Or glory, does including her in this campaign signal that brands are increasingly treating women’s football stars as equals at the top table of endorsement deals? Virgil van Dijk is an existing Cadbury ambassador: does long-term ambassador continuity translate into stronger campaign authenticity and consumer trust?
