A few weeks before the end of the Premiership season, Adidas joins its fellow sportswear brands in rolling out new kit launches for next season with a retro Manchester United away shirt campaign running under the #HereToCreate hashtag.
Two of the primary promotional powerhouses of world football, Adidas and Manchester United know that a new season offers new commercial and creative opportunities and their new 2017/18 away kit has been inspired by one of the club’s most famous designs in the form of a fresh take on the bold graphic fan patterns of the 1990-1992 jersey (and worn by legends like Ryan Giggs, Paul Scholes and David Beckham).
This is a modern makeover of an early 90s classic is a throwback to the iconic ‘Madchester’ period when the city was a hub of musical, cultural and footballing creativity.
In effect, this new black kit aims to connect the past to the future: it pays homage to an historic design instantly recognisable by fans of a certain generation and also celebrates the rich history of the city and the club (and a trophy-laden, successful era).
The familiar ‘fleck’ graphic design is re-imagined on a black backdrop with white hues, the traditional adidas three stripes and logo, plus the classic club badge all combine with a modern crew-neck collar and a crisp white finish ‘for a clinical feel’.
The new 2017/18 away shirt, which will be worn on the pitch for the first time during Manchester United’s pre-season tour of Norway and the USA in July and August,
The new away kit was launched on 10 May at an event fronted by Adidas football ambassadors and Utd stars Paul Pogba, Ander Herrera, David De Gea and Jesse Lingard with a parallel campaign running primarily across social media targeting Adidas and United’s collective 181 million social media followers.
The digital and social assets amplified by club and sportswear supplier all carry the #HereToCreate,
Inspired by 92.
Made for the spotlight.
Our 2017/18 @adidasfootball away kit.
Available now: https://t.co/UScEOgUygN#HereToCreate #MUFC pic.twitter.com/pfxdY2Oosa— Manchester United (@ManUtd) May 10, 2017
The next chapter awaits.
Introducing the 2017/18 @ManUtd Away kit.
Available now: https://t.co/5sDBzQdFsM#HereToCreate pic.twitter.com/cfJTJl1VTG— adidas Football (@adidasfootball) May 10, 2017
Be among the first to own our 2017/18 away kit: https://t.co/hwu89Rmnbo pic.twitter.com/Ggnz9GY1m9
— Manchester United (@ManUtd) May 10, 2017
and are further supported through the players’ own social channels,
We always give our best for @ManUtd and of course we will in our new @adidasfootball away shirt! #HereToCreate https://t.co/4oOc4TlGNv pic.twitter.com/IMwXOsOcQe
— Ander Herrera (@AnderHerrera) May 12, 2017
Shapes of ‘92. Love our new @adidasfootball away shirt. Let’s go @manutd ! #HereToCreatehttps://t.co/4oOUNtKU1h pic.twitter.com/6UivRTuTtD
— Jesse Lingard (@JesseLingard) May 12, 2017
Our new away shirt. Let’s keep fighting! #HereToCreate@adidasfootball @manunitedhttps://t.co/q1z50QMj6M pic.twitter.com/fnRYReYq5A
— Phil Jones (@PhilJones4) May 12, 2017
as well as via other strands such as a signed shirt competition,
We’re giving away a signed 2017/18 away shirt along with the full kit in a size of your choice!
Enter here: https://t.co/jOjWQ9G6PT pic.twitter.com/KIM0w91del
— Manchester United (@ManUtd) May 13, 2017
and digital design asset downloads for mobile.
But the centrepiece of the campaign is a video featuring Pogba and singer, songwriter and producer Desiigner (Sidney Royel Selby III).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MhTQaeqmp1w
The spot is amplified by player,
Creating with @LifeofDesiigner #HereToCreate @adidasfootball @manutd pic.twitter.com/LcF7KEkKoJ
— Paul Pogba (@paulpogba) May 12, 2017
club,
The 2017/18 #MUFC @adidasfootball away kit presented by @LifeOfDesiigner feat. @PaulPogba. #HereToCreate pic.twitter.com/YquZpCUMVc
— Manchester United (@ManUtd) May 12, 2017
and sportswear supplier.
Made for the spotlight.
The 2017/18 @ManUtd Away kit presented by @LifeOfDesiigner feat. @paulpogba.
Available now.#HereToCreate pic.twitter.com/S6nIMeGfnv— adidas UK (@adidasUK) May 12, 2017
The ad executions and content pieces aim to drive viewers and fans to either the club of the sportswear brand’s purchasing platform at www.adidas.com or http://store.manutd.com
Activative Comment:
For Adidas and Manchester United this is a comparatively low key combined campaign – especially compared to its inaugural 2015 blockbuster #BreakExpectations kit launch campaign (see our Case Study and our Kit Launch Briefing Report).
This reduced scale isn’t altogether surprising for an away kit campaign and yet, nevertheless, impressively the campaign’s #HereToCreate hashtag generated more than 40 million impressions in the first five hours following the launch.
While the Pogba/ Desiigner YouTube spot – which apes the Pogba/Stormzy soccer star and singer combination campaign that marketed the player’s return to Utd back in summer 2016 (see our Case Study) has notched up 100,000 views in its first 48 hours.
The team will be hoping for solid sales statistics too.
Not least because Manchester United are in danger of losing a potential £22m in income from its Adidas partnership if they fail to qualify for the 2017/18 Champions League.
The team’s best hope for qualifying lies with winning the Europe Cup and Adidas is also teasing a cup final campaign with assets featuring its Man Utd endorsers Lingard, Herrera and De Gea.
See how @JesseLingard, @D_DeGea & @AnderHerrera create for @ManUtd in Ep.5 of Europa Heroes: https://t.co/VeTt75C1RJ#X16 #NeverFollow pic.twitter.com/pUuYOQWbOW
— adidas Football (@adidasfootball) May 4, 2017
Links:
Adidas Football
http://youtube.com/adidasfootball
https://twitter.com/adidasfootball
https://facebook.com/adidasfootball
http://instagram.com/adidasfootball
http://adidas.com
http://snapchat.com/add/adidasfootball
https://soundcloud.com/adidasfootball
Man Utd:
http://www.manutd.com/
https://twitter.com/ManUtd
https://www.facebook.com/manchesterunited
https://plus.google.com/+manutd
https://instagram.com/manchesterunited/
https://www.pinterest.com/manutd/
http://www.manutd.com/en/Club/Sponsors.aspx
