Following April’s announcement that Brazilian football star, Neymar Jr., would be the first athlete to front a Diesel fragrance campaign, parent company L’Oréal recently released (19 May) the hotly-anticipated advertising campaign, ‘Spirit of the Brave’, in more than 40 countries.

As revealed in April, Neymar Jr was involved in all aspects of the fragrance, from its initial creation to the story of the advertising campaign. This included making decisions on the bottle, the juice, and the recent announcement on Instagram.

“I took part in the most important decisions,” said Neymar Jr. “It had to be a daring fragrance, and it also had to be related to what I like. I wanted a fragrance telling my own story and what bravery means to me.”

The release coincides with Neymar Jr’s first decade as a professional athlete, and it also marks the 10th anniversary of Only The Brave, Diesel’s signature fragrance for men.

TELLING A STORY WITH TATOOS

L’Oréal comments on the advertising campaign: “By relying on the codes of entertainment, the film intends to define what sticks most to Neymar Jr’s skin: his tattoos.

“He has more than 70, each illustrating an important event of his life. Neymar Jr’s tattoos not only tell his story, they reveal his personality.”

The film directed by Mark Zibert features the bottle – shaped like a fist – which was inspired by one of his iconic tattoos; a lion inked on his hand.

This campaign, supported by photography also shot by Mark Zibert, has now been deployed in France, Italy, the United Kingdom, Germany, the US and of course Brazil.