We launched Arsenal's Retro collection by recruiting the fashion world's most unlikely celebrity Creative Director: down-to-earth Arsenal legend and former England footballer Ray Parlour (AKA The Romford Pelé).
With the World Cup dominating conversation, club football on pause and Christmas coinciding with a cost-of-living crisis, Arsenal asked us to help release their new 00s-inspired range with a campaign that would gain cut through, drive sales and entertain their supporter base.
We found inspiration in the coming together of fashion and football over the last two decades and searched for an idea that could connect the two eras. Enter Ray as Arsenal's new Creative Director.
We produced a mockumentary, a high-end fashion-shoot and a pop-up store on one of London's most fashionable streets, creating a whole world where Ray had taken charge of the Arsenal brand and unleashed his inner-fashionista. We integrated current squad members to set things firmly in the present day and took every opportunity to poke fun at ourselves and football culture, ensuring fans were in on the joke too. Short and long form videos were released moments before the doors to the pop up opened, and we even made a range of all-black tote bags.
Within hours much of the range had sold out online with queues down the street to enter the pop up. Inside supporters could shop, meet Ray and even watch World Cup matches in the evenings.