Atlético Mineiro rolled out a new campaign with betting partner H2Bet last week. The Brazilian club tapped defender Lyanco as the face of the push.
H2Bet took over as main sponsor this year. That’s after Betano’s deal ended. (Betano now backs Flamengo instead.)
The campaign’s called “The Mass Supports Those Who Support Galo.” It’s aimed squarely at the club’s hardcore supporter base. “The Mass” is what Atlético fans call themselves.
Why This Campaign Matters for Brazilian Football
Club jersey sales in Brazil can get messy during sponsor transitions. Fans keep wearing old kits for months. Sometimes years.
H2Bet wanted to speed things up. CEO Ueltom Lima said the company knows old jerseys don’t disappear overnight. But they’re trying to move fans toward the new design faster than usual.
“We know that after a change of sponsors, it is natural for jerseys from the previous cycle to still be seen for a while,” Lima told reporters. The company decided to get ahead of that problem.
The deal’s reportedly Atlético’s biggest sponsorship ever. So H2Bet’s got real money riding on supporter buy-in. Getting fans into new shirts quickly helps cement the partnership’s visibility across Brazilian football.
What the Jersey Campaign Includes
Pepe Mendina directed the promotional video. He’s H2Bet’s creative chief. They shot it inside Arena MRV’s official store.
Lyanco appears throughout, bridging the club and its supporters. The production shows actual fans as active participants rather than background extras.
Mendina said they wanted supporters to see themselves in the content. “Lyanco represents this connection with the Mass very well,” he told media. The defender’s credibility with fans made him the obvious choice.
Lima also praised the defender’s work. He called Lyanco’s performance “a highlight” of the production.
The campaign pushes jersey purchases as a way to back both club and sponsor simultaneously. Buy the shirt, support everyone involved.
How This Reshapes Club-Sponsor Dynamics
Brazilian clubs typically take a hands-off approach to sponsor transitions. Let fans switch jerseys on their own timeline.
This joint campaign flips that. H2Bet and Atlético are actively managing the changeover together. Lima even acknowledged using “a touch of humor” to address the awkward period when old kits still dominate the stands.
The approach puts supporters at the campaign’s center. Not as consumers but as stakeholders in the club’s success. That’s a shift from standard sponsor activation in Brazilian football.
Other clubs might copy this model if it works. Co-branded campaigns could become the norm for big sponsorship deals. Especially when betting companies need quick brand visibility.
The partnership aims to strengthen Atlético’s national presence beyond Belo Horizonte. Whether fans actually buy new shirts faster remains to be seen. But the coordinated approach shows how Brazilian clubs are rethinking sponsor relationships.
