On 1 July it was all change in the Chelsea FC dressing room as the west London premier League club and kit supplier Nike launched a campaign called ‘It’s A Chelsea Thing’ to promote the new 20/21 season home strip which was the first to carry the logo of the team’s new front of shirt sponsor Three.
Introducing our new @nikefootball 20/21 home kit, and shirt partner @ThreeUK! The herringbone-knit pattern is inspired by the traditional craft of London tailoring.
Available 09.07.20 #ItsAChelseaThing #ThePrideOfLondon pic.twitter.com/sFGBmjcbJP
— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) July 1, 2020
The kit launch campaign rolled out across club and Nike digital and social channels.
It was fronted by a 2 minute, 30-second spot telling the magical story of Alice and Chelsea FC’s official new 2020/21 home kit and narrated by Blues legend Ruud Gullit.
The new strip itself, available from 09/07/20, has a herringbone-knit pattern inspired by the traditional craft of London tailoring – thus bringing a touch of Savile Row to Stamford Bridge.
Inspired by west London’s long association with master tailors and their exquisite craftsmanship, the Blues’ new home jersey ventures into the realm of statement shirting and is described as a ‘luscious, textured, modern classic, wholly befitting the capital’s most stylish club’.
Although it is actually made from recycled polyster which Nike has been using since 2010 to produce football kits as well as Flyknit yarns for the footwear. So far 7.5 billion of plastic bottles have been diverted from landfills and waterways.
The new kit has dark blue tape running down the sides of the torso and is embossed with the phrase ‘The Pride of London’. Both the font and the indigo lettering are reminiscent of the labels sewn inside London-crafted suits. White socks, decorated with a Nike Swoosh and a Chelsea lion, complete a sharp head-to-toe look.
‘London is the epicentre of men’s tailoring and the kit takes its inspiration from this iconic craft,’ says Nike’s Scott Munson, VP, Nike Football Apparel. ‘We paid tribute to the work of these skilled tailors with the use of bespoke details and trims to create a really crisp aesthetic which complements Chelsea’s uniquely stylish identity.’
The 2020-21 Chelsea home kit was worn for the first time in the Premier League game against West Ham on 1 July.
‘I’m really excited to be wearing this kit when we take to the pitch again for the 20/21 season,’ says striker Fran Kirby in the launch PR. ‘Winning the WSL was an incredible moment for the club and we’ll be proud to be wearing the new kit as champions next season.’
The kit also begins the partnership with mobile network Three as the new principal shirt sponsor and the telco also rolled out its first ‘Connect The Game’ activation on the first day of the month (after the original scheduled dates for the end of the 19/20 season).
The new shirt sponsor deal, which saw Three replace incumbent Japanese tire brand Yokohama as Chelsea’s principal partner, is the network’s biggest every sponsorship and will see Three employ a strategy aimed at using the reach of football to showcase its network capabilities, offer exclusive customer experiences and build stronger connections between the game, the players and the fans.
Three’s approach will be is focused on bringing fans and customers closer to the team and game they love at every opportunity through its new ‘Connect the Game’ creative platform.
With professional football currently being played behind closed doors, Three’s role with Chelsea, its fans and the community in general has become even more important as the role of mobile, communication and internet network is more important than ever before.
Three’s initial wave of work aims to ensure the club’s fans and customers feel just as connected to their club now as they would cheering from the stands at Stamford Bridge.
The brand will enhance connectivity within Stamford Bridge and the surrounding areas to ensure match days are even more connected and enjoyable – particualrly when normality finally returns and fans are back cheering in the stands.
Plus Three will also work with Chelsea to help develop and support its eSports offering and drive the brand even further into gaming.
The ‘Connect the Game’ platform, which will see activations and initiatives created in partnership with Chelsea FC men’s, women’s and academy teams, club venues, the Chelsea Foundation and its related community programmes, kicked off on 1 July with a range of initiatives including a Whatsapp based virtual kit fan launch, social content featuring former Chelsea star Joe Cole and, of ccourse, fresh ways to Chelseafy your mobile phone.
To celebrate our new @ChelseaFC sponsorship we're inviting you to be part of the first ever fan shirt launch. Whatsapp the words 'Virtual Kit' to +44 747 656 1433 and we’ll hook you up with some new virtual threads #ConnectTheGame *T&C's Apply https://t.co/mVvaPg5pxI pic.twitter.com/vcABEYGPBv
— Three UK (@ThreeUK) July 1, 2020
Chelsea club legend, Joe Cole, has all the deet's on how you can get your very own virtual kit. Over to you, Joe. pic.twitter.com/AI0Nl9uE4m
— Three UK (@ThreeUK) July 1, 2020
For all things Chelsea, join our Three Live team at 5pm to find out how to Chels-ify your phone, pick up some social media tips and bag your own virtual kit like Louis here. https://t.co/kY5BYNHDyF pic.twitter.com/iEmdt1yOTV
— Three UK (@ThreeUK) July 1, 2020
We hear that 'Three' is a magic number. #COYB https://t.co/JkKNIAeN7P
— Three UK (@ThreeUK) July 1, 2020
Elaine Carey, Chief Commercial Officer at Three UK, commented: “We are delighted to be working alongside Chelsea FC, one of the largest and most innovative of the Premier League’s clubs, to enable our customers and fans to stay connected to the team they love.
“Connectivity is more integral than ever to football fans at the moment, whether its accessing content, watching livestreams or interacting with other fans online. As one of the UK’s leading networks we can facilitate the wealth of connectivity opportunities that will enhance the fan experience day to day. We aim to drive innovation in football connectivity to positively benefit our customers, the fans, the club and wider community for future success both on and off the pitch.”
Guy Laurence, CEO at Chelsea FC, added: “We are excited to officially begin our partnership with Three, which will, from July 1, see their iconic brand appear on the match shirts of our men’s, women’s and academy teams.
“As a football club, we endeavour to be an industry leader, continuously striving to innovate how we engage, entertain and communicate with our global fanbase. In Three, we have found a partner who are equally at the forefront of their industry and share our passion for innovating how football fans enjoy the modern game.
“During these unprecedented times, we need to think as imaginatively as possible to further strengthen the special connection we have with our fans. We feel confident that our new partner’s aspiration to Connect the Game will help us achieve that goal and deliver some truly memorable activations.”
Comment:
It was just a bit of a marketing bummer that the club lost 3:2 to Weest Ham on dropped out of third place in the league on new sponsor Three’s first day.
Carey also said that the company and its marketing team will build on its experience from previous sport and entertainment sponsorship deals – particularly its high profile partnerships in the Irish market which included the national football and national rugby teams.
Amongst its activation highlights from those deals were the ‘Make History Euro 2016 campaign (see case study) and its 2015 ‘All It Takes Is Everything’ Rugby World Cup work (see case study).
Links:
Chelsea FC
https://www.youtube.com/user/chelseafc
https://www.facebook.com/ChelseaFC/
https://www.instagram.com/chelseafc/
Nike
https://www.nike.com/
https://www.youtube.com/user/nike
https://www.instagram.com/nike/
https://twitter.com/nike
https://www.facebook.com/nike
Three
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