Monday saw the launch of our impressive Adelaide United home kit for the 2021/22 season.
The video was produced in-house by our very talented Media, Marketing, and Retail team with the help of freelance videographer and frequent content contributor, Stuart Kerr. The overarching reception has been extremely positive with the video and the kit itself being well-received across our social media channels, garnering substantial engagement and interaction.
Concept
Similarly, to last season’s home jersey reveal, we wanted to highlight the local Hindmarsh area again and the intrinsic connection between that and Coopers Stadium.
However, rather than showcase the surrounding streets of Hindmarsh, this year the decision was made to highlight the nearby businesses and what they mean to the community. Many of these businesses are institutions, and are frequented by fans on their journey to Coopers Stadium on game day, as well as what a player might do before a match such as grab a coffee or get a fresh haircut.
As alluded to, the video for our 2020/21 home kit saw Reds players from both our W-League and A-League teams walk the streets of Hindmarsh around Coopers Stadium.
But this year we have altered the narrative and opted to incorporate businesses along with past players and current coaches into the reveal. An extensive collaborative process took place as we developed a storyboard of potential scenes, while creating a punchy, impactful script that would resonate with our audience about what the Club means to them. Hence it is more than just the kit itself. Kits and designs will always change but the one constant remains – the Club and its supporters.
After identifying the locations, we revealed our concept to the relevant businesses and they quickly agreed and were excited by the project, allowing us to film on their premises and be part of the video.
Execution
The video itself tells the story through the people that are wearing the new home kit with current A-League and W-League players, for the most part, playing a secondary role in casual clothes. This is a way of symbolising that we are and always will be the ‘people’s team’ – a team for all South Australians.
The video begins at Coffee in Common, before visiting Barber Society, and later cuts to Mai’s Lunch Bar and Enzo’s Ristorante. These last two scenes see the talent speak in Vietnamese and Italian respectively, indicating that football is a universal language given it is the most popular sport in the world. The Joiners is next up and a standard meeting spot before crossing Manton Street and heading to the stadium.
New A-League and W-League broadcaster, Channel 10, are also integrated into the video. As new stories and memories are created on the pitch, they are told off it by those in the media. The walk to the stadium is also captured as a way of implying that the supporters of the Club are part of one, big extended family. The video then ends on Isaías in the centre circle of Coopers Stadium who says “… And it keeps you coming back”, highlighting that insatiable feeling associated with sport and more pertinently football. The passion and experiences generated from a game day are unparalleled.
Result
Adelaide United’s Head of Marketing and Communications, Marius Zanin, praised the in-house capabilities of the entire media, digital, graphic, and design team following the launch.
“We’re extremely delighted with the end result,” he said.
“The fact we have again produced all the content for all of our kits this season in-house is a testament to the team’s incredible hard work, creativity, and proficiency.
“After last year’s successful campaign, we wanted to ensure we maintained a high standard and continue to push our limits.
“As a Club, we wanted to do something different rather than go with an agency to market our products.
“We believe we know our fans better than anyone because, at the heart of it all, we are true Adelaide United fans who have supported the Club for many years.
“We feel the overall reaction to what’s been released has been very positive as we try to make our own unique mark in the football world around kit culture.”
Extension
The More Than a Kit campaign will continue beyond the initial release. As an extension of the launch, we will be featuring the people that wore the kit in the video and what the Club means to them and their respective businesses.
Team
Marius Zanin – Head of Marketing and Communications
Jordan Trombetta – Media and Communications Manager, Club photographer
Stuart Kerr – Freelance videographer and photographer
Monique Varricchio – Graphic and Digital Designer
Tim Baker – Digital Content Manager
Lachlan Cameron – Retail and Merchandise Coordinator
Gianluca Filosi – Media and Communications Assistant
Courtney Pedlar – Intern (Flinders University student studying Media and Communications)
