Panini has recruited England and Arsenal star Declan Rice for its latest ad campaign in which he appears as the ‘Goat of Swaps” trusty sidekick, to the amazement of awestruck schoolchildren.

Developed by creative agency Dark Horses, the 30-second spot follows on from August’s campaign which kicked off the start of the 2023-24 Premier League season.

Directed by Henry Littlechild and produced by The Vigilante Group, the film promotes the Italian brand’s current Premier League sticker collection and marks the return of brand ambassador Declan Rice.

“As a kid there are few more exciting moments than completing your sticker collection or meeting a Premier League footballer, we’ve managed to cram both into one spot. The Goat of Swaps has proved a fruitful creative territory for us and we’re excited to see where it takes us next,” Dark Horses creative director, Adam Burns said.

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Running from early December, the campaign will be pushed out across the Premier League’s social media channels before paid support across social and online video.

Panini head of marketing sport, Katie Gritt added: “Collaborating with Dark Horses on this campaign has been such a fun journey! We wanted to extend the GOAT of Swaps storyline in an authentic and relevant way and Dark Horses have brought our vision to life perfectly, with fun, humour and that special Panini pizzazz!”

“What better way to launch the new Premier League Official Sticker collection than with a combination of a football superstar like Declan Rice alongside the literal G.O.A.T?.”