“You’ll Never Walk Alone” – How Carlsberg and Liverpool FC are making history

There are partnerships in football that simply work. And then there are those that make history. Carlsberg and Liverpool FC quite clearly belong to the latter. Since 1992, brewery and club have gone hand in hand – through highs, lows and some of the most iconic moments in international football. What started as a traditional shirt sponsorship has evolved into a global platform that reaches fans all over the world. Whether through limited editions or initiatives like “You’ll Never Walk Alone” in sign language, the partnership shows how beer, football and culture can come together.

We spoke with Louise Bach, Global Sponsorships Director at Carlsberg Group, and Kate Theobald, Commercial Director at Liverpool FC, about the partnership, its evolution, defining moments as well as joint products and activations.

Louise, please briefly introduce yourself: What is your role and what are your main responsibilities?

Louise Bach: I’m Louise Bach, Global Sponsorships Director at Carlsberg Group. I’ve been with Carlsberg for more than 18 years and always worked within the sponsorships team. I have a background playing competitive basketball and truly enjoy working within the sports industry.

As Global Sponsorship Director, my main responsibilities are crafting the sponsorship strategy for our global brands, negotiate and maintain close relationships with our partners and together with the brand teams bring our partnerships to life at the heart of important cultural moments.

Carlsberg and Liverpool FC share one of the longest-standing partnerships in international football. What does this collaboration mean to you personally and to Carlsberg as a brand?

Louise Bach: I am actually not a football fan at all, but the partnership with Liverpool FC is a great example of how some collaborations are simply bigger than sports. I see the impact Liverpool FC has on the fans and how emotionally connected they are. As a sports fan I can definitely relate to that.

For Carlsberg, the legacy we have with Liverpool FC and with football in general gives us a credible voice in a very cluttered space. The global reach of LFC fits very well with Carlsberg Group’s footprint and over the years, this partnership has been the stable platform for the brand.

In football, loyalty is key and Carlsberg and Liverpool FC have been together when the business was not thriving and the on-pitch performance was not at its best.

But we have stood firmly side by side for more than 34 years and leaned on each other during the tough times.

How has the partnership evolved since it began in 1992 – from traditional sponsorship to a global brand platform?

Louise Bach: We obviously started as front of shirt sponsor, which is very much an awareness and reach asset. When we came off the shirt in 2010, it forced us to be more creative in our approach, to ensure we not only drove awareness, but brand saliency.

So we had to flip it on its head a little bit and see how we could show with for the fans during moments that are relevant to them. We live by the motto: act like a fan and not like a brand. And we do always look for ways to show up that are authentic and credible.

Over the years we have found new ways of bringing the partnership to life. From limited edition products celebrating the Premier League win, to a co-promotion with Hong Kong Sevens, which we also sponsor, and live streaming with LFC legends on Meituan’s platforms in China, we are looking to take the partnership to fans in new ways, through new channels.

What role does the club’s history play in today’s marketing campaigns?

Louise Bach: Carlsberg and Liverpool FC share a lot of history. Not only due to our long standing partnership, but the founder of Liverpool FC was actually also a brewer and we share values such as authenticity, resilience and community. We always want these values to come through in our campaigns and ensure we are trying to affect change.

We have also shared some iconic moments together. The Miracle of Istanbul is still regarded as one of the best UEFA Champions League Finals and we built a global campaign around this in may 2025, celebrating the 20 year anniversary.

And of course when LFC won the Premier League during COVID, we created a limited edition can, enabling us to celebrate with the fans across the world. In those big cultural moments, we need to show with a certain level of respect – it’s not about Carlsberg, it’s about Carlsberg being part of an important fan moment.

We also use the legendary players in campaigns and events. Just last year we took LFC legends to 9 different markets for various events, which gives us an opportunity to bring the partnership closer to those fans who are supporting from a far.

Carlsberg is known for creative campaigns centred on Liverpool FC – from limited-edition cans featuring legendary shirts to special editions such as the “Believers Brew” to mark Jürgen Klopp’s departure. How important are such emotionally resonant products for brand loyalty?

Louise Bach: The partnership gives us a platform to activate on different levels and in different moments. Sometimes we are part of a moment that is much bigger than us and we try to find a way to be part of the conversation by showing up with a product that matches the fan sentiment, like the Believers Brew.

That moment was about Jürgen Klopp and the impact he made on the club. We found a way to celebrate him, that was authentic and relevant to the fans.

Football fans are ruthless – in the best way – and they will hold you accountable if you cross any lines, so building campaigns that emotionally connect with the fans in the right way, is key to building brand saliency and preference.

The “LFC beer” with specially developed red hops is an exciting example of co-creation. How important are these product innovations for the partnership?

Louise Bach: The Red Barley Beer was the first time we really used product innovation in the partnership and we were only able to do it thanks to our incredible team at the Carlsberg Research Laboratory in Copenhagen, who approached us with this special barley variant.

Liverpool FC was quick to jump on board, as I think we all agreed this could truly be something special. The Believers Brew was another step as it was a co-creation between us, Liverpool FC, Jürgen Klopp’s team and our friends at Erdinger. It was not an easy task, but it showed us the power of partnership and how product innovations combined with thinking outside of the box can be very powerful.

As we look to the future, product innovations will continue to play an important role and especially we will look to scale those innovations to make them available to even more fans.

Non-alcoholic beer is becoming increasingly important. What role does this segment play in the partnership?

Louise Bach: The alcohol-free beer segment is a very important category for Carlsberg Group and we will always look to our partnerships to see how we can bring these variants to the fans. Both by offering the products at stadiums and by building specific campaigns with Carlsberg 0.0. We have done a few campaigns with LFC already with Carlsberg 0.0 during Dry January, were we used the variant across media facing assets, sampling at Anfield and putting Carlsberg 0.0 at the very heart of the fan experience.

I do think we will see more and more alcohol-free variants being used within football for two reasons. One is evolving legislation and the focus on alcohol advertising in general and secondly, because of fan demand. Fans expect to have a variety of offerings including alcohol-free and we need to ensure these variants stay top of mind.

How will football sponsorship change in the coming years?

Louise Bach: Overall fan behavior is changing. They way we consume football is rapidly changing and especially with the new generations. More Gen Z‘ers watch highlights, not full matches, they follow players and are not as loyal to clubs and are not sitting back waiting for rights-holders and partners to create content, they are content creators themselves.

We need to ensure we show up at the right channels, at the right time, with the right message in the right tone of voice in order to grab their attention.

Secondly, fans and consumers in general are focusing more on sustainability and DE&I and partners who do not lean into these areas will be perceived out of touch. We obviously cannot solve all issues, but the massive platform that football is, gives us not only an opportunity but a responsibility to help tackle some of them and at the very least put a spotlight on it.

The partnership also addresses social issues. Tell us about “You’ll Never Walk Alone” in sign language!

Louise Bach: We know how much “You’ll Never Walk Alone” means to the LFC fans, however the deaf community misses out on this every time.

At Carlsberg, we want to give more access to more of the best and this means creating moments for people to have access to things they normally miss out on, this creating opportunities for deaf and hard of hearing football fans to feel more part of the game day experience.

For deaf football fans, this moment carries deep emotion. For years, one of the most powerful and unifying moments in football has passed them by, seen but not fully shared. Bringing “You’ll Never Walk Alone” into BSL (British Sign Language) is about deaf fans claiming their place in that moment, signing alongside thousands of others as part of the crowd.

Beyond the stadium, the project raises awareness of BSL as a rich, expressive language and an essential part of deaf culture. By making BSL visible in one of football’s most iconic moments, it helps shift how sign language is seen, not as an add-on, but as something that belongs in shared public life, and encourages more people to notice, respect, and learn it. It puts BSL where it belongs – at the heart of shared cultural moments – and encourages greater understanding, respect, and engagement with the language.

If you had to describe the partnership between Carlsberg and Liverpool FC in one sentence – what would it be?

Louise Bach: An iconic partnership built on trust, values and a shared ambition to pushing boundaries.

Kate, please introduce yourself briefly and tell us about your role at Liverpool FC!

Kate Theobald: My name is Kate Theobald, and I’m the Commercial Director at Liverpool FC, where my focus is leading our international partnerships business.

I’m fortunate to work alongside a brilliant team focused on building long term relationships with industry leading brands. Together, we’ve shaped what we believe is one of the highest impact partnership families in global sport, with a real emphasis on trust, collaboration and longevity, exemplified by partners such as Carlsberg, who have been part of the club’s journey for over 30 years.

At the heart of my role is building long term relationships with industry leading brands and making sure those partnerships genuinely come to life across the club. That means creating work that feels authentic to Liverpool, connects with our supporters, and aligns with The Red Way, our award-winning sustainability framework.

Ultimately, it’s about growing our commercial business in a way that stays true to who we are as a club and where we’re going.

How important is it for a brand and a club to share similar values – for example, in terms of community, inclusion or tradition?

Kate Theobald: It’s important, but it has to go beyond simply stating shared values. What really matters is how those principles show up in meaningful action, and that it feels authentic throughout the journey.

At Liverpool FC, that comes to life through many ways, but an area we work with partners on is around The Red Way, our award-winning sustainability strategy focused on creating a better future for our people, our planet and our communities. It’s something we speak to our partners about regularly, not as a box to tick, but as a genuine part of how we operate and what we expect from those partners we work with.

Inclusion and community sit at the heart of The Red Way.

Campaigns like Carlsberg and LFC’s “Signs of Unity” have been brilliant, helping make the matchday experience at Anfield and St Helens more inclusive for deaf and hard of hearing supporters in a way that’s both thoughtful and genuinely impactful. It’s a great example of a partner really leaning in and bringing shared values to life.

Alongside that, the work delivered through the club’s official charity, LFC Foundation, is central to who we are off the pitch. For our partners, it’s about recognising and supporting those areas in a way that feels genuine. It’s not about claiming alignment — it’s about contributing to the things that matter most to the club and its supporters.

Liverpool FC embodies a strong fan culture like no other club. How does Carlsberg manage to be an authentic part of this culture and the club – without being perceived as ‘just’ a sponsor?

Kate Theobald: Carlsberg has been part of Liverpool FC partner family for more than three decades, so it’s a relationship that supporters have grown up with — it’s familiar and trusted.

What’s been important is that their involvement has consistently felt connected to the club’s culture and history, rather than sitting alongside it. That can be seen in the way they’ve contributed to the club over time — from moments that celebrate key achievements, such as our first Premier League title and the Miracle of Istanbul, to lasting additions like the Bill Shankly statue at Anfield.

They’ve also shown an understanding of when to step into important fan moments, and when to simply support them.

That balance, combined with their longevity as a partner of the Club, is what allows the partnership to feel like a natural part of Liverpool FC rather than something separate to it.

The partnership with Carlsberg has been in place since 1992 and was extended for a further ten years in 2023. What are your expectations and how do you measure the success of such a long-term partnership?

Kate Theobald: With a partnership of this length, success is measured over time rather than in single moments. The extension in 2023 takes the relationship between Liverpool FC and Carlsberg to an incredible 42 years – the longest standing partnership in both the club’s and Premier League history – a reflection of its strength and consistency.

Part of what makes this partnership so successful is that Carlsberg is more than just a partner, they are a true supporter of the club. They’ve been a constant presence around the club, supporting both the men’s and women’s teams, and contributing in ways that feel connected to the culture and history of Liverpool FC.

It’s also been a genuinely collaborative partnership — the sponsorship team at Carlsberg are excellent to work with, and our close working relationship plays a big role in how consistently we’re able to deliver together.

In terms of measuring success, we look at how the partnership continues to evolve — how it remains relevant to supporters, how it supports the club commercially, and how it delivers for Carlsberg across different markets. There’s also a strong focus on consistency and maintaining a high standard of delivery year after year while still finding ways to introduce new ideas.

Ultimately, it’s about ensuring the partnership continues to feel like a natural part of Liverpool FC, while also delivering clear value for both sides.

If you had to describe the partnership between Carlsberg and Liverpool FC in one sentence: What would it be?

Kate Theobald: A long standing, fan first partnership built on trust, consistency and a real understanding of what matters most to Liverpool FC and our supporters, brought to life over decades with Carlsberg.

Probably the best partnership in the world.

Carlsberg | Website | Instagram | Facebook | LinkedIn

Liverpool FC | Website | Instagram | Facebook | LinkedIn

++ We’d like to thank Louise Bach and Kate Theobald for the open and very interesting interview! If you have an interesting brand, we should talk. Just send us an email with the subject line “about-drinks Interview” to redaktion@about-drinks.com – we look forward to hearing from you! +++