Kits are more than just a piece of clothing. Rushing to the stores, fans are ready to pay premium pricing to get their hands on the latest threads and are crazy about retro kits as they look back to special moments and memories with the club. A kit is a piece of history and a representation of the fan’s connection to the club, and there is almost no better way to generate excitement and buzz amongst the fans than unveiling new kits before the upcoming season.
Football fashion? Fan engagement?
Throughout the years, there have been many iconic football kits that have become a symbol of a club or country. From the Nigeria World Cup kit, with football meeting streetwear to create a kit capable of reaching almost infinite heights of hype, to the red and black stripes of AC Milan, worn over the years by some of the greatest players to ever grace the game, some kits have transcended the sport and become a part of pop culture.
The kit design is important, but an impressive launch is also needed to engage fans and build excitement. Clubs normally launch around 3 kits a year, on occasion, they also launch more kits, especially partnering with fashion brands to come up with kits that are becoming increasingly common to wear. Arsenal released a Jamaican-inspired kit in the lead up to Notting Hill Carnival in summer 2022, and anyone who attended noticed it left, right and centre. Even training kits have become common place. Increasingly becoming a crucial component of the identity of a fan, kits play a huge role in the overall fan engagement and so it’s important that clubs have the right digital tools in place to enhance the visual storytelling when it comes to reveals and launches.
Using ScorePlay to manage kit launches and reveals
ScorePlay helps clubs organise and easily access their digital assets quickly and efficiently. This makes it easier for clubs to promote their new kits on social media, livestreams, and other digital platforms. The ability to quickly access and share these assets helps clubs create an impactful and exciting experience for their fans. It is also easy to collaborate with partners and sponsors on their kit launches and reveals. Sponsors can easily access the digital assets to create their own promotions and campaigns. This helps clubs expand the reach of their kit launches and create a more comprehensive experience for their fans. The use of a DAM built for sports is essential for football teams to create an engaging kit launch experience for their fans. We’ve picked out our favourites.
AS Monaco: Kappa x DDM Launch
For the first time, AS Monaco and the famous French ready-to-wear brand "Drôle de Monsieur" joined forces for an original collaboration. At the crossroads of genres, between sport and lifestyle, the two brands worked together to pay tribute to the French Riviera and the jewel that the principality represents. Drôle de Monsieur combines its unisex vision with the elegant values of the club on the Rock. The outcome was a total rebranding of the historic colours of the Monegasque club for a collection out of the ordinary, one that will give supporters the opportunity to proudly wear the coat of arms of the princely club in sports, as in everyday life.
West Ham Away Kit: Umbro x West Ham
Umbro and West Ham united to create the new away kit for the 2022/23 featuring clean looks with graphics inspired by East London’s diverse area and the club’s origins as Thames Ironworks.
Tigres Away Kit: Adidas x Tigres
Tigres just unveiled their third kit for the season with a blue and yellow chest band which was inspired by their 1982 away shirt. It marks a historic season where they won their second league title after defeating Atlante at the Estadio Azteca.
New Mexico United x Meow Wolf
New Mexico United and Omega Mart unveiled a collaborative jersey that was worn by the team when they travelled to take on Las Vegas Lights FC. Omega Mart – Meow Wolf’s massive mock supermarket – featured across the front of the all-white kit, along with the newly-minted ‘soccercow’, inspired by the store. As United continues to bring the magic of New Mexico to the rest of the world through a blend of Art & Sport, this collaboration is another expression of the unique creativity that makes this state and team so special.
DRM and Embargoes - ScorePlay allows coordinated launches
ScorePlay works with clubs to ensure that kit launches have maximum effect, keeping it under wraps and safe from leaks on socials. Embargoes can be set to ensure that the new kit is not released to the public until a certain date, allowing the team to properly plan their launch and keep the reveal exclusive. Copyright expiration dates can also be set to prevent the kit from being used without permission.
By using ScorePlay, teams can ensure that their new kit launches and reveals are secure, exclusive, and managed appropriately. This helps teams to maintain the integrity of their brand and keep their assets secure.
Set an embargo on content, so it only becomes available after the selected date (e.g., Kit launch, Signing announcement etc.).
Set copyright expiration date: Users can add an expiration date and time to files at the moment of the upload. When the expiration date arrives, the files become only available to admins.
Digital rights (can be shared with 3rd party)
Annotations
'Being used on' dropdown (website, social, etc.)
About ScorePlay
ScorePlay is your best-in-class media solution that provides an automated architecture to centralise, distribute, and classify your digital assets, whether photos, videos, or live broadcasts. We are transforming sports organizations, automating their creative processes and growing their brands and unlocking new revenue. We are the bridge to the future of sports storytelling, from content capture to fan consumption. Automate. Grow. Unlock.
Credits
Photo credit: AS Monaco, West Ham United, Tigres, New Mexico United
