Sevilla FC and Real Betis team up to promote #ElGranDerbi brand

Sevilla FC and Real Betis are all set to lock horns again on the pitch. Off it, however, they have teamed up – in conjunction with LaLiga – to promote their nationally and internationally renowned derby, which dates back over a century and will see its first instalment of the season this Tuesday at 22:00 at the Ramon Sanchez-Pizjuan.

This will be no ordinary game. No derby ever is, let alone in Seville, where football is the talk of the town throughout the year, whether in bars, among families or at work. This is a city that lives for and is enlivened by its traditions and passions, and they don't come bigger than in football. For this reason, this is no run-of-the-mill derby. The #ElGranDerbi initiative unites a city usually divided along red and green lines, one that is more polarised than any other in Spain and which is routinely brought to a standstill by occasions like the one coming up on Tuesday. 

What's more, the effect is not only felt by fans of the two Seville clubs – this is a fixture that all supporters, Spanish or otherwise, should go to at least once in their lives. Anyone who does so can say that they have sampled one of the most electric atmospheres out there in football and experienced all the depth of feeling and excitement associated with the beautiful game.

This joint project was launched three months ago through social media and following Sevilla and Betis's matches at Ipurua and the Benito Villamarin this weekend, it will be stepped up with a range of audiovisual content in Spanish and English, as well as Chinese, Japanese and French, with the aim of reaching international audiences.

To fuel the buzz across the planet, a promotional video will be aired in over 150 countries with the help of LaLiga Santander television rights-holders. Once one factors in the print and digital media campaign, which LaLiga will be supporting through its own platforms including its social media channels and corporate website, the total global reach is expected to surpass 140 million people.

Whether it's Sevilla-Betis or Betis-Sevilla, the Seville derby is always a special occasion. More than a match, it is an extravaganza that never fails to leave emotions running high on both sides of a uniquely fervent rivalry. This is football as it can only be experienced by allowing #ElGranDerbi to take hold of you, and all the more so by seeing it in the flesh.