As the end of the season draws closer, various European clubs have begun rollouts for the kits they’ll wear next season. These advertorial campaigns are usually conducted through promotional images, or eye-catching videos, placing the focus on the brand’s latest offering.
However, Nike and Liverpool have taken a different route, and evidently, it has worked wonders.
Instead of highlighting the kit, the focus shifts to the city itself, and Liverpool as a sentiment.
The opening shot lays the foundation.
A dark room with the only illumination coming from the club’s traditional red colour.
The open dialogue sets the scene and puts the city in the limelight.
Visuals of overjoyed fans are mixed in with a stylized ‘YNWA’ logo, as silhouettes of Liverpool stars begin to appear one by one.
A classy touch comes in the form of a reference to the tragic Hillsborough disaster, the eternal flames on the screen dictate that the victims will never be forgotten.
A cracking tune, Let’s Dance to The Real Thing, plays in the background, courtesy of Liverpool based band Stone. The punk-rock track is an excellent homage to the famous sound of Liverpool, the upbeat tones also bring an infectious energy to the video.
And soon enough, stars from both the men’s and women’s teams strike a pose in front of the solitary screen while sporting the brand new Liverpool home kit.
Notable appearances include a surprising cameo from Alex Oxlade Chamberlain, and one from Luis Diaz, who looked simply thrilled to be a Red.
At the midway point, the outline of a visionary looking over a legion of supporters takes centre stage. “Desire, emotion, atmosphere. This city, it’s different”.
Jurgen Klopp sums up Liverpool, the shot is followed up by sharply edited visuals of the featuring players before the German makes his return.
The video concludes with Klopp’s trademark, three energetic fistbumps met with equally enthused cheers, and the final shot displays the ‘YNWA’ logo on top of Anfield.
Adoration from fans flooded in, the video even managed to alter the opinions of those who weren’t fans of the kit before.
Fans also wondered about the exclusion of Mo Salah from the promotional material. Doubts have been cast over the Egyptian’s future at Liverpool, due to unsuccessful contract negotiations with the club.
With his incredible marketability as an athlete, his presence in an unveiling would’ve been a no-brainer. This is why his absence led many fans to believe that perhaps the club aren’t confident of his contract being renewed.
The kit unveil goes on to show that initial public opinion can be swayed with the right marketing, a lesson other clubs can adopt with their campaigns.