This campaign is an unusual, tripartite synthesis of music, gaming and football.
A piece of cross branded content, spearheaded by official England kit supplier Umbro and supported by the Sony Experia Play smartphone, to test whether a football video game can actually be physically played out in real life.
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Umbro thought they cold, so kitted out two 5-a-side teams in branded strips and boots – one was led by England striker Darren bent and the other by Kasabian front man Tom Meighan. But rather than actually play the game, reach captain controlled his team using specially modified Sony Xperia Play handsets.
Through the smartphones they were able to send instructions to their players to run, pass, tackle or shoot.
The Kasabian link is an example of Umbro’s strategy of reaching out beyond their core sporting space and in to the connected arena of music. Both are emotional and passionate, as well as having deep appeal to matching demographics, there is a genuine link between the two areas (as there is with the world of gaming too).
Last year Umbro began a partnership with Kasabain when it teamed up with the British rock giants to in its innovative launch of the new official England away strip. The band changed in to the strip for their encore at a gig in what was the first unveiling of the new kit.
This marked the first occasion that Umbro had moved away from the traditional football player based launch.
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The strategy sees Umbro attempt to position its brand (and its England shirt product) as a cultural icon, not just a team strip.
This is part of an ongoing, wider movement for sportswear brands top become fashion labels too.
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