Stockport County, one of the oldest clubs in the English Football League, celebrates its 140th anniversary in 2023 and marked the occasion with the launch if a film paying tribute to the club’s history and launching a special, limited edition kit with 1883 nostalgic strips available for loyal supporters to buy.
The celebratory campaign, created by agency TrunkBBI, rolled out ahead of a 29 July pre-season friendly between Stockport and another original member of the league Preston North End at the club’s Edgeley Park ground.
Founded in 1883 as Heaton Norris Rovers, the club was later renamed Stockport County in 1890 and has since long established itself as an integral member of the EFL and the local community.
Featuring club legends and current players, the film pays tribute to the club’s remarkable journey – highlighting some of its highs and lows – as well as launches the exclusive, limited-edition kit.
Scripted by TrunkBBI Senior Copywriter John Hewitt, a devoted Hatters supporter and season ticket holder for more than 50 years, the agency says that ‘the film provides profound understanding of the club’s soul and captures the essence of Stockport County’s rich history’.
The anniversary kit, developed with apparael partner Puma, is available online and at the club shop from Friday, 28 July.
The anniversary celebrations include a range of initiatives: including a historical club shirt exhibition at the stadium and a community collection event at Wycliffe Congregational Church (the birthplace of Stockport County FC).
“At TrunkBBI, we are passionate about creating meaningful sports sponsorship content that creates a strong connection with fans,” commented TrunkBBI’s Chief Creative Officer Adam Britton. “We know that sports fans identify with their teams, but we also know that sports teams must also identify with their fans—giving them a real stake in what the club represents. For our exceptional content production team to turn the film around from concept to online in less than 2 weeks, speaks volumes of their talents. Talents that make me very proud to work alongside them each day.”
Stockport Country Head of Marketing Alice Gregory said: “Collaborating with TrunkBBI for our limited edition 140th-anniversary kit video was an absolute delight! Their creativity and vision brilliantly captured the essence of our Club’s legacy, and we couldn’t have asked for a better team to bring our milestone celebration to life. We’re very much looking forward to working with TrunkBBI on future projects at County.”
The campaign runs in parallel with the club and apparel partner Puma’s promotional campaign for its new 2023/24 season shirts.
Comment
At Activative we love an anniversary film – it helps the team come to terms with the passing of time and our own ageing, as well as offering a chance to learn about and from sports rich history – and this video is no exception.
Other nostalgic sports anniversary campaigns from recent times include Puma’s 2023 Women’s World Cup ‘The 75 OG’ activation built around the historic first women’s international in 1975 between co-hosts Australia and New Zealand, plus NASCAR’s recent ‘Always Forward’ and ‘Roads’ 75th anniversary campaign and Patagonia’s future-facing ‘What’s Next’ 50th anniversary campaign.
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