Football fervour is running high in the UK right now. It has been an adrenaline rush for weeks albeit ending in disappointment.
Chelsea FC and Uncommon Creative Studio have teamed up to bring new fire to UK football, at least for Chelsea fans. It is also to one of the London club’s most anticipated seasons yet. Uncommon’s brief was to define a new brand narrative that captures the club’s famed past, and brings Chelsea together under a shared ambition for the future. The campaign includes a new visual identity and campaign to launch the club’s new home kit.
The centrepiece of the new home shirt is the vibrant blue colour, symbolising the hottest part of a flame, and the burning passion and determination of the Chelsea players and fans to succeed on and off the pitch.
The campaign includes film, photography, design, outdoor and social featuring Cole Palmer, Sam Kerr and Moises Ciacedo as well as some of Chelsea’s most exciting youth talent. The work’s striking aesthetic is built on a potent blue flame paired with SFX and visual techniques that capture the energy, passion and determination that burn inside Blue players.
The hero film’s soundtrack is the work of London producer and DJ, Joy Orbison, an edit of his track, Flight FM, the biggest underground track of the year.
The campaign features a combination of stars from the men’s and women’s first teams, including a selection of the most exciting home grown talent – Alfie Gilchrist, Connor Gallagher, Reece James, Levi Colwill and Aggie Beever-Jones.
The outdoor work is series of visuals representing the energy burning within each player. Using special effects and motion blur techniques the photography captures each player in the new kit burning blue. It will run across London this month.
The stills photography and film were shot and directed by Thomas Van Kristen, a lifelong Chelsea fan whose work is fuelled by his love for sports and urban culture, produced by Common People Films with 2nd Unit photography captured by Charlie Birch, also represented by Common Image.
“This is the fans’ energy. The players’ energy. The city’s energy. We Burn Blue,” stated Claire Cronin, chief marketing officer of Chelsea Football Club. “Our new home shirt embodies the passion, drive, and determination that runs through the veins of everyone associated with the club. It is a representation of our history, our present, and our future. We couldn’t have chosen a better partner in Uncommon to help us bring this important moment to bear.”
Nils Leonard, co-founder, Uncommon Creative Studio, added, “This thinking encapsulates the club and players sentiment ahead of the new season, as they bring a new energy and new fire to Stamford Bridge. This is only just the beginning — this is about partnering with the fans, players and club to create the brand Chelsea has always deserved, to bring the iconic London club to the world.”
Credits:
Client: Chelsea FC
Creative Studio: Uncommon Creative Studio
Production Company: Common People Films
Director & Photographer: Thomas Van Kristen
Executive Producers: Ramy Dance & Melody Sylvester
Head of Photo: Tom Burns
Producer: Candy Field
Production Manager: Sophie Needham
Production Assistant: Barney Watson
Runners: Harrison Clarke & Grace Timblick
Photographer: Charlie Birch
2nd Unit Photo Assistant: Charles Williams
Digital Operator: Laura Heckford
1st Assistant: Freddie Stisted
2nd Assistant: Jack Cullis
1st AD: Olly Ginelli
2nd AD: Stefan Puxon
DOP: Jeremy Valender
Thermal Camera DoP: Dominik Leimgartner
SFX Supervisors: Neil Gawthorp & Dean Rowson
SFX Technician: Arthur Janeway
Post Producer: Erin Sullivan
Stills Retouching: Thomas Van Kristen & Niklas axelsson
Editor: Charles Gamble @ Okay Studio
Edit Producer: Alex Blowers @ Okay Studio
VFX: Dan Newlands & David Fisher @ DayTwo VFX; Shivam Solanki & Yash Agrawal @ The Artistbuilding Studio
Colourist: Connor Coolbear @ ETC
Colour Producer: Mikael Nakkas @ ETC
