FAN REVEALS HUMAN MOBILE DEVICES AS GLOBAL PARTNER OF FC BARCELONA

• FC Barcelona and Human Mobile Devices (HMD) drop partnership news with a fan-led joint logo reveal video ahead of FC Barcelona's first La Liga home game on August 24
• Lamine Yamal's hairdresser, and Love Island contestant, Saul Peregrina, clipped the logo reveal into the back of a young fan's head at a Catalonian barber shop in Barcelona
• A new colorway for the HMD Skyline smartphone, Blue Topaz, is unveiled in the video

MIAMI, Aug. 22, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Flick, Romeu, Victor, Olmo, Roebuck… there have been plenty of high-profile new arrivals at FC Barcelona in recent months, and today, a new supporter is announced to join the masses of fans out there. That supporter is Human Mobile Devices (HMD), a European mobile phone innovator that prides itself on doing things differently – a trait made abundantly clear in the new partnership reveal.

Dropping on the HMD and FC Barcelona social channels, the partnership reveal video sees Lamine Yamal's hairdresser, Saul Peregrina, shave the world-famous FC Barcelona crest next to the HMD logo on the back of the culer's head to announce a three-year partnership deal, and it also gives a sneak peek of the new HMD Skyline in Blue Topaz. The intricate artwork took two hours to complete.

Saul Peregrina, hairdresser to the stars, recently cut Lamine Yamal's hair and the La Masia graduate's reaction video on TikTok has clocked up 7.5 million views. This time HMD put fan Iñigo in Saul's barber seat to recreate a stunning piece of shaved art combining the two brands' logos.

Sure to cause a stir on social media, the fan-led short film focuses on a young 20-something male Barca fan, who in true Catalonian style, steps into a traditional neighborhood Barber Shop to have his hair cut and talk all things football.

Dressed in relaxed jeans and the new FC Barcelona home shirt, the young man shows the barber - Saul Peregrina - a picture as if to say 'this is what I want,' before the barber intricately gets to work with his clippers. After a series of close-up shots, the camera pans out to reveal the finished 'do' which shows the HMD logo and FC Barcelona crest shaved into the back of the young man's head.

The barber holds up a mirror to show off his handywork and the young man gives a nod of approval before they both take out their HMD Skyline smartphones and take selfies to share with their friends.

The initial three-year deal, which sees HMD become a Global Partner of FC Barcelona and Official Mobile Phone Partner of FC Barcelona, is designed to raise awareness of HMD – a company not yet 10 years-old but already Europe's largest manufacturer of smartphones – primarily through digital advertising opportunities at the Olympic Stadium and then at the Spotify Camp Nou when it reopens later in the season. The partnership between the two brands extends beyond football as it will also cover the FC Barcelona basketball, futsal, handball and roller hockey teams.

Commenting on the announcement of the partnership, Lars Silberbauer, Global Chief Marketing Officer at Human Mobile Devices (HMD), said;

"When it comes to creativity and innovation in sport you simply cannot look past FC Barcelona. The club has always championed fresh thinking, beauty, and flair, and we have the same mindset when it comes to technology. And just like FC Barcelona brings people together – it's more than a club obviously – we're the same. Every device we make is designed to enhance people's lives and build connectivity. I've been a FC Barcelona fan for a long time, ever since Michael Laudrup joined the club back in 1989. I'm still a fan, and pleased to announce HMD as a supporter too. We can't wait to work with the club, and the culers, to do some amazing things together."

Away from the stadiums, HMD will have a significant presence across FC Barcelona's digital platforms (which at last count numbered 468 million) and over the course of the coming months and years the two brands will collaborate on a number of impressive digital-first content pieces to excite fans and keep partnership visibility levels high.

Juli Guiu, vice-president of the FC Barcelona Marketing Area, comments:

"We are very proud to take a new step forward in our commercial strategy by incorporating the HMD company as a new Global Partner. We feel very aligned with them in terms of brand values because theirs is an honest, transparent vision of technology that makes a priority of waste disposal and responsible use, with special consideration for the welfare of future generations. HMD and Barça are, from now on, two brands that go hand in hand from the present but looking to the future."

HMD Skyline in Blue Topaz – a new era of smartphone design that you can repair at home

HMD is known for its human-first, innovative and fun-packed devices; from creating dumbphones to give people a digital break, to unveiling beautiful repairable smartphones including HMD Skyline – a 5G¹ smartphone now in an all-new colorway, Blue Topaz, that stars in the FC Barcelona reveal film.

HMD Skyline is a premium handset that has been developed for the creators. It has a 108 MP camera and 50 MP selfie camera, great for capturing epic shots. It merges remarkable functionality with unrivalled repairability² and cutting-edge design, and costs just $499 USD.

The 8/128GB version of HMD Skyline will be coming to the U.S. this September, in three colors: Neon Pink, Twisted Black, and Blue Topaz.

Notes to Editors

TM and © 2024 HMD Global. All rights reserved.

¹5G coverage is limited and might not be supported by your network service provider. Actual speed depends on network and other factors.
²Details available at https://www.hmd.com/self-repair.

About Human Mobile Devices
We are Human Mobile Devices, and we start by tuning into what people really want. Our consumers are passionate about the planet, often feel swamped by digital overload, and are keeping a close eye on their budget. That's why we are thrilled to be Europe's largest smartphone maker, championing repair-at-home phones, and a go-to for much needed digital time out. Coming this year, you can expect to see a new portfolio of Human Mobile Devices original mobile devices, as well as Nokia phones and exciting new partnerships. For further information, see www.hmd.com.

Sobre el FC Barcelona
FC Barcelona is considered the greatest multisports club in the world and in 2024 it turns 125 years of history. It was founded in 1899 and it is owned by its members. Rooted in its city and country its outlook is global, and it has official headquarters in cities in three different continents: Barcelona, Hong Kong and New York. Barça seeks to change the world through sporting excellence. This also reaches the world of knowledge and innovation via the Barça Innovation Hub. The club is also renowned for its commitment to social causes, which it channels through the FC Barcelona Foundation, and for its work to educate boys and girls in the positive values of sport. Barça's growth in recent years means it now is one of the most beloved sport clubs in the world and one of the most followed on social media.

CONTACT: Stephanie Baber, [email protected]

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SOURCE HMD