By Andy Marston, Sports Pundit
When footballers land major lifestyle and beauty partnerships, it’s often framed as a sudden crossover moment. In reality, the most credible moves into fashion and culture are the result of years of deliberate positioning.
L’Oréal Paris announced a new partnership with Arsenal midfielder Declan Rice, extending its existing relationship with the club. Rice will front campaigns for L’Oréal Paris Men Expert and Elvive, with the first activation launching in January 2026 across digital, social and in-store channels.
On the surface, the deal is about shared values and performance on and off the pitch. However, those values have only come to the fore thanks to a longer-term strategy, deliberately which has been shaped by both Rice and Arsenal over several seasons.
As Maria Hasler, Senior Commercial Rights Manager at Arsenal FC, explained:
“When I joined Arsenal, Declan and his team had a clear ambition to break into the fashion and culture space.
"This didn’t happen over night; it was a strategic build:
"We started by placing him front and centre at London Fashion Week with LABRUM London at the Emirates Stadium.
"We gave him cultural currency via our retail collaborations with ARIES ARISE and A-COLD-WALL*.
"This partnership with L’Oréal truly is the pinnacle of that journey.
"[And] the launch has delivered!
"The announcement went live on L’Oréal’s channels last week, amplified by Declan’s immediate appearance at the prestigious British Fashion Awards with the L’Oréal family.
"We ensured maximum impact by collaborating with media outlets like British Vogue,
The Telegraph, and Men’s Health.
"Keep your eyes peeled for Declan x L’Oréal across digital, in-store activations, and major OOH sites in the next few months.”
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