Nike’s World Cup campaign intends make a big impact with a lot of little noises throughout the world. This one, Can’t Tame Us, is a first for Chelsea FC, a series of “spotted in the wild” cultural moments and ideas borrowed from the luxury fashion playbook launching a Nike-Chelsea Fc kit, and engineered to reach Chelsea fans across the globe from London to Los Angeles, Sao Paulo to Sydney.
Rather than seeding the kit to paid ambassadors in the run-up to the launch, Chelsea FC delivered it in person to a handful of fans across sports, music and entertainment. Among them were golfer, Justin Rose, who was pictured in it at May’s PGA Championship; and Brazilian musician, Hariel, who performed in the shirt at his sold-out event in Rio. The kit even made an appearance on Madonna during a Gymskin livestream.
Ø Madonna, with Gym Skin, on social media
Ø Justin Rose, English pro golfer, at the PGA Championship in Pennsylvania
Ø MC Hariel, Brazilian singer/songwriter, at a music festival in Sao Paulo
Ø Noah Kahan, American singer/songwriter, on his social media
Ø Jordan Poole, NBA New Orleans Pelicans player, on Instagram story
Ø Chito Vera, Ecuadorian UFC fighter and face of fashion brand Stone Island, on his social media
Ø Kibo, up and coming British rapper, on Balamii social media
The campaign launching the new kit was developed by creative agency, Till Dawn, and built on a strategy devised by brand consultancy, Iconic.
As well as the shirt being worn by personalities from across the sporting and music world, the campaign featured street-level activations including a mural at Venice beach in Los Angeles. The mural was spray painted onto a wall at the famous LA spot and features Chelsea stars, Cole Palmer, Estevao and Lauren James wearing the new kit.
Central to the campaign is the rampant lion, the symbol at the heart of the Chelsea FC badge. TILL DAWN’s work introduced this through creative including claw marks appearing on flyposters, murals and outdoor projections, appearing in Chelsea’s hometown of London, as well as key locations including Los Angeles, São Paulo, Sydney and Hong Kong.
The creative concept and art direction from Till Dawn, is around a lion that lives within all those who follow Chelsea. Loud, instinctive and fearless in nature, a lion that can’t be tamed. You can’t tame the players, the style, the youth, the progress or the club’s global influence.
The recurring lion motif also teased the refreshed Chelsea FC badge, introduced following fan consultation. The new shirts feature a collar and button-down neck in the official Chelsea Bright Blue colour, with the rampant lion and Nike Swoosh woven into the fabric in Midwest Gold.
Craig Stronach, founder at Till Dawn, commented, “This kit launch is intentionally untamed, from the purposeful leaks to the launch moments, this campaign is rooted in a simple truth – you Can’t Tame Us. We set out to develop a creative platform, embodying this behaviour, to celebrate 75 years of the rampant Lion and the disruptive spirit it represents. Enabling versatility for the campaign to evolve in real time – allowing us to react, adapt and build momentum throughout the launch journey.”
Chelsea FC also opened a newly refurbished community football pitch in São Paulo, reflecting the club’s continued commitment to growing participation in football and investing in local communities connected to the global game.
Can’t Tame Us is the second time Chelsea FC has collaborated with TILL DAWN and ICONIC on a home kit launch campaign, following the success of last year’s multi-award-winning London, It’s Our House campaign that won a Gold Clios Sports award.
Scott Fenton, brand director at Chelsea FC, stated, “We’ve been building cultural gravity around this club for a couple of seasons now. Partnerships with Roc Nation, collaborations with WWE, and conversations with the worlds of music and fashion have all reinforced our belief that the best of London culture and the best of football belong in the same room.”
James Kirkham, founder at ICONIC, added, “This is cultural crossover by design. We wanted to play in all the adjacent cultural spaces around our beautiful game, and lean right into the internet kit leak culture by using it to our advantage. So the same kit, found in bespoke content moments and experiences, distinct to platforms, talent and communities. Creating conversation at every stage.”
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