Chelsea FC lays down gauntlet as 'London's true club'

The Uefa European Championship 2024 final might have seen Spain’s Marc Cucurella triumph over England’s Cole Palmer and Conor Gallagher but with all three playing for Chelsea FC, the club is keen create a new “narrative” that captures its past and brings the team together for the future.

Devised by Uncommon, the new visual identity has been unveiled to launch the Premier League club’s new home kit, in association with Nike.

A new era under men’s and women’s team head coaches Enzo Maresca and Sonia Bompastor brings with it new energy, new passion, and, according to the official blurb at least, “new fire”.

The club says: “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.”

To bring this to life, Uncommon’s campaign includes film, photography, design, outdoor and social featuring Cole Palmer, Sam Kerr and Moises Ciacedo, as well as some of Chelsea’s youth team.

The work uses a potent blue flame paired with SFX and visual techniques to capture the “energy, passion and determination that burns inside every Blue”.

It also stars players from the men’s and women’s first teams, including a home grown talent Alfie Gilchrist, Connor Gallagher, Reece James, Levi Colwill and Aggie Beever-Jones. (Chelsea’s marketing team will be hoping none of these leave before the season begins.)

The launch film starts on what appears to be a flickering blue flame in the distance and as the track warps, figures flurry on screen, a player dons the new shirt – we then cut to a shot of Chelsea’s red rose smouldering in the darkness – signalling a new beginning for the club.

As the track drops, the blue flame returns this time with more ferocity. Every player begins to burn blue as their passion for the game spreads like wildfire.

For the soundtrack, Uncommon worked with London-based producer and DJ Joy Orbison to create a bespoke edit of his seminal track Flight FM – the biggest underground track of the year. Blue is the Colour didn’t quite make the cut.

The new campaign also teases a new visual identity for the club designed by Uncommon. Throughout the film, outdoor and social assets we see ‘CFC LDN’ – designed to cement Chelsea as London’s “true club”.

This new visual identity will continue to come to life across the club, stadium and players throughout the season.

The outdoor activity features a series of iconic 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. The ads will run across London this month.

Chelsea FC chief marketing officer Claire Cronin said: “This is the fans’ energy. The players’ energy. The city’s energy. We Burn Blue.

“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.”

Uncommon Creative Studio co-founder Nils Leonard, who just so happens to be a die-hard Chelsea fan, said: “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.”

TOPICS:data-driven marketing design football sport