Fresh out of the Euros, the time has come for the 20 selected clubs to battle it out on the pitch for the crown of English Football Champions. It’s the Premier League! So far we’ve heard Joy Orbison's 'Flight FM' remixed to soundtrack the unveiling of Chelsea FC’s 2024-25 kit, while Barry Keoghan is seen musing poetically about the role of football in his personal life in Man United's Adidas Originals kit release, scored by Underworld's 'Born Slippy'. So the 2024 crossover between pop culture and Premier League football is off to a strong start.
Over the past few decades brands/ teams/ clubs globally have harnessed the powers of music/ film/ fashion to advertise themselves to the masses; campaigns becoming seemingly more ‘cool’ as the years go by. To attempt to cover all adverts ever created would be a slightly unrealistic undertaking for this article, therefore I have chosen a few fan (and personal) favourites to dissect, examining just how such brands/ teams/ clubs have triumphed in the advertising department, through the integration of pop culture in their campaigns.
NIKE PARKLIFE CAMPAIGN: BRIT POP MEETS SUNDAY LEAGUE FOOTBALL
May 1997, some 220 footballers from all walks of life gathered on the hackney marshes pitches for the filming of a new Nike advert. Now Nike at this time we're pretty much of underdogs of football brands, with the likes of Umbro, Adidas and Puma dominating the sport. There was a general understanding that if fans believe the brand doesn't understand the GAME, fans won’t believe the brand makes good boots or kit. Nike’s campaign’s sole purpose was to change this view, and they did with immediate effect.
Backdropped with water coolers and council blocks, the spiritual home of Sunday football, the Hackney Marshes, seemed a location most fitting for this undertaking. Working with a low budget, the ad set out to become a representative of grassroots football, displaying how the purest forms of the sport can be found in the streets and the PARK. You can therefore imagine how seamlessly Blur's ‘Parklife’ would fit as the soundtrack for such a video. Brit-pop faves Blur released Parklife in 1994, the third single on their third album release. A commentary on everyday life as a British citizen, the track acts as the perfect cultural touchstone for this campaign. Passion and community spirit rings through the words ‘All the people, so many people, they all go hand in hand, hand in hand through their parklife’; the underlying message encouraging folk to live together despite their differences.
The minute long film is imbued with energy and character as short, sharp edits and playful camera work create an informal feel displaying a real departure from the glitzy showcases of elite leagues football advertising. Groups of young players shot mid game are later joined by stars including Eric Cantona and Ian Wright, blurring the lines between amateur and professional. They’re so casually brought into the shot you almost wouldn't notice it's them! And that’s exactly what Nike were trying to get at; doesn't matter your age, ethnicity, community, walk of life, ‘Whatever league you’re in, Just Do It’.
So not only have Nike now established themselves on the scene with a clear understanding of grassroots football, they have captured what lies at the core of British identity at the same time: community. With the help of Damon Albarn and his bandmates, the minute long ad pretty much hits nail on the head: opening with a shot of an egg being fried up for your full english breakfast and closing with a still of a disposed orange slice from half time, Nike Parklife 1997 really is the pinnacle of the UK on a Sunday.
TIED TOGETHER: CHELSEA FC X NICHOLAS DALEY COLLABORATION IN HONOUR OF THE GREAT PAUL CANOVILLE, AKA 'KING CANNERS'
Here we see the perfect product of the football and fashion worlds colliding. Tied Together, a collaboration between Scottish Jamaican fashion designer Nicholas Daley and Chelsea FC is a limited edition clothing release rooted in celebrating heritage, creativity and cultural diversity. Daley draws from his personal cultural background to represent the ever diversifying Chelsea FC community while paying homage to one of the great icons of the club and football altogether, Paul Canoville.
As the first black British player in the men's first team, Canoville stepped into the team in 82, during a period of rampant racism particularly within the sport, a beacon of resilience in the midst of adversity. Now retired, Paul remains an ambassador for the club, promoting diversity in the community and triumphing the Paul Canoville Foundation which focuses on helping young folk from disadvantaged backgrounds, especially those faced with racism or discrimination. An absolute hero, it was only fitting to release a limited edition line in his name with designs infused with heritage and cultural celebration. Who better than Nicholas Daley to take on the role?
October 2023, arrives Tied Together, a 1980s inspired terrace tracksuit jacket, a reworked Pride of London scarf, and a jersey inspired by Canoville’s Chelsea 83-84 kit from his time as a player. Elements of both scarf and tracksuit display Daley’s signature style, Chelsea blue tartans and striped colour-ways drawn from the 80s decade. Not only does it look damn cool but it also acts as a sort of uniform of inclusivity worn by the up and coming young change makers of the next gen.
Instilled with a sense of club community, the line went further than just a release. Fashioned by youths and elders of all ages and backgrounds, Daley created something fans can wear with pride, knowing the crest they bear on their chest honours a great trailblazer ‘King Canners’, a product hitting home the powers of diversity and inclusion. All proceeds from the collection went to the Paul Canoville Foundation and United Learning Initiative.
So when you think fashion and football, you can also think power and celebration of culture, heritage and diversity. UP KING CANNERS!
'Canoville's legacy, marked by resilience and pioneering spirit, is a source of inspiration not only for me but for all who embrace this collection. Together, we celebrate diversity, culture, and the enduring impact of individuals who break barriers'. - Nicholas Daley
ENGLAND X NEW ORDER: WORLD IN MOTION
When you think of football anthems, ‘three lions on the shirt’ can't help but creep onto your tongue, but time travel back to 1989 and it was New Order’s ‘World In Motion’ that really made a mark in football’s sonic history.
Little did the 'Madchester' prophets know… this would be the soundtrack to the transformation of football, from a gritty hooligan filled mad-fest of a kick about to a marvellously patriotic and tactical match. The greatest, most unusual collab of all time was underway: New Order, Keith Allen, John Barnes and the England team.
Lyrics from actor Keith Allen, a Hacienda regular (the Mancunian nightclub/ birth child of Factory Records) and avid footy fan lay the foundations for the track, with the classic New Order synth-pop, electronica grooves to follow. With undertones of homoeroticism as well as football references 'Arrivederci, it’s one on one’ Allen’s lyrics nail the balance between terrace chant and lyrical dexterity.
Coming off the tail end of violent matches and Prime Minister Thatcher trying to ban the sport all together, 'World in Motion' couldn't have landed at a better time, installing that ‘feel-good’ feeling the football world so desperately needed. I guess Euros Italia 1990 plays a role in this ‘shift’ too, where football becomes less feared and more revered, but the New Order 'bop' not only built a bond between the football fan and the dance floor lover, but changed what footy chants would sound like forevermore.
Whether through sound, designer collaborations or star appearances in adverts and campaigns, I think it is safe to say football has done a pretty good job at incorporating elements of popular culture into advertising, making for an exciting future ahead for the coming football generations.
Arrivederci!
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