Liverpool announcing the extension of a long-running commercial partnership wouldn't usually garner that much attention in the grand scheme.
But that Nivea Men have agreed to continue partnering with the Reds until the end of the 2025/26 season is notable, and not just because they will have been the club's official men's grooming supplier for more than a decade.
The link-up with Nivea has arguably been the most prominent of all Liverpool 's commercial partnerships given the visible presence on both television and in print. After all, surely everyone has now seen the likes of Roberto Firmino, Trent Alexander-Arnold and James Milner looking after their skin.
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And it all started with a first advert that was revealed at Anfield during the initial announcement of the partnership back in February 2015, which prompted quite possibly the most surreal press event the stadium has ever hosted.
Jordan Henderson, Raheem Sterling and Simon Mignolet were quizzed on their personal hygiene regimes by health and beauty journalists, most of whom had been ferried up from London. All the while, sat at the back of the room like naughty schoolboys, the football hacks watched on with a sense of bewilderment and bemusement. There also may have been a bit of sniggering.
However, the change of focus meant the trio were quizzed in ways they probably never expected when signing on the dotted line at Anfield. And there were some startling revelations. Sort of.
Pink Floyd were considered strange
Former Liverpool striker-turned-DJ Djibril Cisse may contend otherwise, but footballers have never really been big on music.
Which is a surprise, really, given the most ambitious musicians aren’t that much removed from top players, striving to be adored by thousands of fans who are paying a lot of money to watch them perform in a vast stadium.
That’s not to say they don’t listen to the odd tune, particularly during their usual pre-match build-up. So what was getting played in the Liverpool dressing room at the time?
“We have a mixture really,” said Henderson. “We have something for everybody. We just try to make sure we have some r’n’b and dance, nothing too slow. No country music, no. We try to mix it up as the lads like different things.
“The weirdest taste in music? Brad Jones likes Pink Floyd. He likes Slipknot as well.”
Pink Floyd have sold 250 million albums worldwide. The oddballs.
Simon Mignolet struggled to wake up
Raheem Sterling has always come across as a laidback young fellow, as evidenced by his contribution when making the Nivea advert. “The hardest part for me was getting Jordan his coffee from Costa,” he said.
But, just to be on the safe side, the England man was stepping it up a notch. “I have started yoga but it’s nothing like what I thought it would be,” added the winger. “They’ve got me doing press-ups. I thought it was more about meditation but they’ve got us doing body stretches and things like that. Not meditation, no.”
For Mignolet, yoga meant one thing: pain. “I’m doing some stretches at well, but it’s not something to settle yourself down,” he said.
That’s not much of a surprise, given Mignolet’s then pre-match ritual. “Before every game I have a shower to make sure I have woken up,” he said. “A cold shower before the game is something I often do.”
Thank goodness for that. Wouldn’t have wanted you dozing off during the second half, Simon.
The Zoom era was forecast
There was plenty of new ground broken during the press conference, not least the use of Google Hangouts to broadcast and interact with a selection of media representatives in other countries who were joined by Liverpool legends.
Little did those present realise how prevalent such remote communication would become in the years that have followed.
The real star, though, was Mark Watson, the Bristol City-supporting comedian who had been appointed to conduct the question and answer session with the players.
But when it became clear the trio were running late, Watson was pushed to the front and asked to ad lib a routine for 20 minutes, all while technically being unable to mention Liverpool’s link-up with Nivea as it hadn’t actually been officially unveiled yet.
That he raised titters from a group of cynical footy hacks speaks volumes for his effort.
Henderson began acting career
Possibly the most surreal yet pointed question asked during the press conference was aimed at Jordan Henderson – the undoubted star of the Nivea television ad – asking whether he could give Joe Hart, then the face of Head and Shoulders, a run for his money as the number one male grooming man in the Premier League?
“I might have to work on my acting skills,” came the reply. “But I may have to have a word with him about that.”
Henderson has since become the focal point of several different advertising initiatives involving the club and, a few months after the first Nivea commercial was broadcast, he was named Liverpool captain and assumed the responsibility as one of the squad's most recognisable personnel.
Coincidence? Well, probably...
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