ctorsΩ, alongside Elliot Rubenstein, told Inside Retail. But despite having worked with some of the biggest sports brands in the world, including Liverpool FC, Manchester City FC, Tottenham Hotspur FC and Arsenal FC, securing a partnership with the most followed athlete on the planet was easier said than done.  “The movie is being pitched, but let’s just say that we didn’t take no for an answer and had the confidence and belief we were the right company,” Czarny said. The coup is expected to to drive more partnerships with global personalities in the future. Game on The process began last year when companies from around the world submitted video pitches. Game On Product Group differentiated itself from other global contenders through sheer determination, grit and Aussie charm. “Our passion and commitment to create an extension of the Messi brand for both Leo and his family (into the health and beauty sector) that would be long lasting and add to his legacy was a driving factor in Game On securing the rights,” Czarny said. Then, it was on to developing the product. Messi was closely involved in the process from beginning to end, curating the scent based on what he looks for and loves in a fragrance, before evolving into the commercial side of things. “The key and what we wanted to capture the most was his humbleness and humility whilst making the fragrance accessible and aspirational for all fans across the globe,” Czarny said. Exclusive contract Messi, the fragrance, launched in 75 countries last week. In Australia, it’s available through Chemist Warehouse, which holds an exclusive partnership with Game On in the local market. Rather than tailoring the product to different markets, Game On took a unified approach to the global brand identity. “We strategically wanted to launch with one winning scent for the whole world, noting that different markets have different preferences in fragrance, which led us to adopt a broad testing and R&D strategy,” Rubenstein told Inside Retail. The process began with over 30 bespoke custom-made fragrances from some of the best perfumers worldwide. “We then tested these in a very methodical way amongst a custom-picked sample base of over 1200 people from different cultures, backgrounds, ages and sexes and narrowed the 30 down to three absolutely stunning scents that have global appeal, are ‘commercial’ but still very ‘complex’ and extremely well crafted,” Rubenstein said.  “We then worked with Leo and his family to pick the winning scent from the top three.”  Partnering with Chemist Warehouse for the launch of Messi in Australia was a no-brainer.  “When you say fragrance in Australia there is no bigger retailer than Chemist Warehouse,” Rubenstein said. “They have continually supported our big ideas and fragrance launches.” This can be seen in the launch of Game On’s fragrance inspired by the beer brand Foster’s, which became the fastest-selling fragrance launch in Australia, thanks to Chemist Warehouse’s backing. “Chemist Warehouse also understood our commitment to building the brand and, being the marketing juggernaut they are, agreed to get right behind the launch,” Rubenstein said. Maintaining strict control over the distribution and retail partners has been pivotal to Game On’s success in the global market. “Rather than sell to everyone and anyone, we have been selective in choosing our partners and have gone with the best fit as opposed to the biggest order,” Rubenstein said. Through the company’s US distribution partner Sheralven, it has launched products into the midmarket department store chain JCPenney. “They have been fantastic in sharing the same vision and synergy,” Rubenstein said. Overcoming obstacles Communicating across time zones and locking in meetings with one of the world’s most in-demand athletes was a challenge. “Not only is Leo the biggest athlete on the planet but he’s also probably the busiest which meant he and his team were often travelling for national duty or playing with Inter Miami, but we always made it work,” Rubenstein said. This commitment has been critical to Game On’s success in its 12-year history. “From the beginning, we have always been driven and motivated by creating things that had never been done before, and as we have travelled the globe, we’ve realised that we belong on the world stage,” Rubenstein said.