Amid the excitement of the El Clásico (Real Madrid vs Barcelona) Watch Party held at the Landmark Event Centre, Lagos, over the weekend, the Marketing Director for Central, East and West Africa at Beiersdorf Nivea, Fiyin Toyo speaks about the brand’s global partnership with Real Madrid, Nivea Men’s unique positioning in the market, and how football has become a powerful platform for connecting with consumers.

Explaining the reasons behind Nivea Men global partnership with Real Madrid, Toyo said, “Well, first of all, it’s a global partnership; it’s not just Nigeria. We wanted to partner with a football brand — a football club that shares our values. If you look at Real Madrid, they are stylish, embody confidence, and display precision on the field. Nivea Men also brings out the natural confidence in men, and we have that twist of German precision. So, these are two beautiful brands coming together to celebrate football. And you know men love football, so it’s a fantastic opportunity for us to connect with the interests of our consumers.”

On the reason behind the El Clásico Watch Party.

“You know, whenever Real Madrid and Barcelona meet, it’s not just a football match — it’s a triumphant day, a cultural celebration, a monumental historical event. So, whenever we have these El Clásico matches, we try to put together a Watch Party to bring our consumers together, get them out of their homes, and create opportunities for them to connect. It’s about watching one of the most anticipated matches of the year together and celebrating the essence and brilliance of Nivea Men,” Toyo expressed.

For her, while fans are enjoying the event, they should also expect consistency from Nivea partnership with Real Madrid.

“Number one, expect our consistency. We just signed a renewal of our partnership with Real Madrid for the next five years, so this collaboration will continue long-term. Fans should continue to expect excitement, brilliance, innovation, and great things from Nivea. We’ll keep delivering the same quality we’ve always provided while continuing to delight our consumers.

“Nivea Men is just unique. It is confidence personified. It helps men bring out their natural confidence to shine, to go out there and get that business deal, or land the job they want. Our new product, which features Max Tech, gives deep moisturisation, long-lasting hydration, intense fragrance, and allows men to truly be themselves,” she said.

Asked if there are any innovations or products that Nivea is introducing to the Nigerian market. “Yes, I’d like to share that this year we launched a new sunscreen. We didn’t previously have sunscreen in the Nigerian market, so we introduced the Nivea Shine Control Sunscreen for the face, which protects both men and women from harmful sun rays. We also launched the Nivea Cocoa Body Lotion in a smaller pack to make it more affordable for consumers, as well as the new Nivea Men Extreme Roll-On. So, expect more exciting innovations next year and beyond,” Toyo noted.

On how has working with Nivea brought her closer to football, more especially as a Real Madrid fan, she reacted thus: “You know what, let me be very honest. I always used to support Nigeria during the World Cup, and I never had a team from La Liga. But since joining Nivea and seeing the precision, excellence, and discipline of not just Nivea but also our partners at Real Madrid, I’ve fallen in love with the team. I love the players, I love the excellence they bring onto the field, and I love the vibrancy and collaboration with Nivea Men. So absolutely, Nivea has brought me closer to football. If I weren’t working here, maybe I wouldn’t be at this Watch Party today (Sunday).”