UMBRO

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FOOTBALL UNITES US

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UMBRO → FOOTBALL UNITES US →

Role:

Concept, Naming, Copywriting

Deliverables:

Campaign, Social, Product

Creative Team:

Cristiano Schmitz, Jéssica Porto

In 2018, Umbro gave us a tough brief: join the World Cup conversation with no copyright budget, compete with Nike and Adidas, and keep their seven Serie A teams in the spotlight during the championship break. The bright side? A brand with a passionate legion of fans and some surprising links between the teams and nations.

STARTING POINT

Seven teams,
unknown histories

As soon as we started reviewing the brief, I noticed that some of the sponsored teams had clear ties to some World Cup nations—in their histories, in the way they support their athletes, in their achievements and struggles. That was a powerful insight. So I started plunging into history.

Lineup of logos from seven Brazilian football clubs: Grêmio, Internacional, Esporte Clube Bahia, Avaí, Santos, Cruzeiro, and Chapecoense.
Santos FC logo with a black and white striped shield, a gold crown and stars, and an English flag with a red cross on a white background.

Santos & England

Santos is the hometown of Pelé, the 'King of Football' and one of the most iconic figures in the sport's history. England is home to the Royal Family, the most prominent monarchy in the world.

The image features the emblem of Grêmio Foot-Ball Porto Alegrense, a Brazilian football club, on the left, with the club's crest displaying blue, black, and white colors, and the year 1903. On the right side, the national flag of Uruguay is shown, with horizontal blue and white stripes, a golden sun with a face in the top left corner, and a white square containing the sun.

Grêmio & Uruguay

Chants, hand gestures, idols, and a shared love for stadium culture unite the team and the nation. Grêmio’s home state, Rio Grande do Sul, also borders Uruguay.

Logo of Associação Chapecoense de Futebol with the Colombian flag.

Chapecoense & Colombia

In 2016, Chapecoense’s plane crashed in Medellin on the way to a match in Colombia. Colombians were key in the rescue efforts and support. Since then, a respectful connection has remained between the club and the country.

How could we immortalise that connection in an item that all fans adore and collect?

CONCEPT

Text saying 'Football Unites Us' in large white letters on a black background.

A jersey collection that brought teams and nations together, in a union only football can create.

Close-up of a light blue Umbro sports jersey with striped side panel, hanging against a brick wall.

Seven jerseys,
seven names,
seven stories

The iconic Brazil jersey is known as the Canarinha – a name every Brazilian fan knows by heart. To make each version stand out and feel more personal, I also gave every jersey its own name and backstory.

The Umbro logo featuring a stylized diamond shape above the word 'umbro' in lowercase letters.
A young man in a light blue soccer jersey standing in front of a brick wall and a flag with a sun and a face on it.
Text-based poster supporting Grêmio football team, featuring the logos of Grêmio, Umbro, and Uruguay flag with a poem about wearing the team jersey.
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Text about Santos football club with logos of Santos FC, Umbro, and the English flag on a black background.
Man wearing a football Chapecoense jersey with yellow, blue, red, and white colors, standing next to a yellow and blue wall against a brick wall background.
A promotional poster with the word 'LA PASIÓN' in large white letters at the top. The text explains the passion for football in Colombia and its importance. Logos of ACE, Umbro, and the Colombian flag are at the bottom, along with information about the 2018 away kit for the Colombian national team.
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Text-based graphic with the headline 'BÁR VÍKINGUR' and a paragraph about Vikings crossing oceans, fighting, building, rewriting history, and immigrant stories of Cruzeiro and Iceland. Logos of Cruzeiro Esporte Clube, Umbro, and Iceland flag at the bottom, with a note about Cruzeiro FC 2018 away kit.
Young man in a white Bahia football team jersey standing in front of a brick wall with a red and blue background.
Black poster with white bold text promoting the Bahia football team and the SK-1 jersey, featuring the Bahia team logo, Umbro logo, and the Russian flag, with details about the 2018 away kit.
A young man wearing Avai soccer jersey with blue, red, and gold accents, standing in front of a brick wall. The jersey features the logos of Avaí Futebol Clube, Umbro, Caixa, and other sponsor details.
Text about the Lion Bleu, symbolizing skill, courage, agility, and the French spirit, with logos of AVAI F.C., Umbro, and the French flag, advertising the 2018 away kit.
A man with long curly hair and a beard wearing a Athlético-PR soccer jersey with red accents and various logos, standing in front of a brick wall and a yellow flag with a coat of arms.
Black background with white text promoting Atlético Paranaense, Umbro, and Spain, featuring logos of Atlético Paranaense, Umbro, and the Spanish flag. The text describes the team's nickname, history, and fan pride.

PRE-LAUNCH

Teaser maps

Before the launch, speculation ran wild across football fan bases. We couldn’t let this pass us by. So we used that momentum to spark even more curiosity. One week before the official drop, each club's IG and FB page posted an image featuring a map of their assigned nation, branded only with the Umbro logo.

  • An abstract background with red, black, and white brush strokes, overlaid with an outline map of Spain and the logo of Umbro.
  • Outline of Colombia with a green background, featuring the Umbro logo in the center.
  • Illustration of the Uruguay map outline with the colors and pattern of Grêmio, featuring a blue circle with stars, a white band, and a green background. The image also includes the Umbro logo in the center.
  • Black and white graphic featuring an abstract background with a white outline map of England, Brazil, overlayed with the Umbro logo and text.
  • Abstract blue and white graphic design with the outline of France and the Umbro logo in the center.
  • An artistic illustration of Russia with the Russian flag's colors, overlaid with a white outline of the country's map, and the Umbro logo in the center.
  • A digital illustration of the outline of Iceland with a blue watercolor background. The logo of the sportswear brand Umbro is centered over the map.

LAUNCH

Stories on the field feed

To bring the connections to life, I wrote scripts for mini-videos shared on each team’s channels. Due to the budget, we used only historical photos from the clubs. These videos were published on their social pages.

A collage of images featuring football fans and players wearing blue and white uniforms with the Umbro logo. Text includes phrases in Portuguese such as "NÓS SOMOS LION BLEU," "AGILIDADE," "CAMISA," and "DESTEZA." A smartphone in the center displays the Instagram page of Avaí FC with hashtags #UMBRONATIONS and a caption "Football unites us."
A man is holding up a light blue soccer jersey with the Grêmio logo and sponsor, in a store setting with other jerseys and posters in the background.
Close-up of a soccer jersey with yellow, blue, and red patterns, featuring the Argentina Football Association emblem and a yellow Umbro logo.

Uniting the fans and the media

The collection quickly gained attention in the media, both nationally and internationally, with quotes on outlets like The Sun, NBC Sports, Fox Sports, and Twitter Moments. The collection even got attention from one of Brazil’s legendary players of all time: Cafú.

Group of six men in soccer jerseys representing various nations posing in front of a backdrop with international flags, promoting Brazil's football clubs in diverse national colors.
Image of a news article headline in Portuguese about Brazilian teams launching uniforms inspired by World Cup selections, dated April 14, 2018.
A soccer team in yellow and green uniforms and their coaches standing behind a sign that says 'Todos Somos Moca' during a ceremony at a stadium, with the stands full of spectators and a large screen in the background.
A Facebook comment from Michael Erthal asking 'What an AMAZING idea!' with a clapping hands emoji.
A cartoon Viking character with a beard, long hair, and tattoos, wearing a sports jersey with the Icelandic flag, is running through a snowy background. The text next to him reads "CRUZEIRO BLAR VIKINGUR" and the image contains various hashtags related to Iceland and Viking themes.
Group of seven football players standing in front of a row of international flags, wearing their national jerseys.
Smiling man in a blue and white soccer jersey with red stripe, standing in front of Cruzeiro emblem. He has dark hair and a beard, with the jersey featuring the Umbro logo and stars.
Group of diverse soccer players wearing jersey jerseys representing different Brazilian clubs, standing in front of colorful fabric backdrop with national flags, promoting Umbro Nations jerseys.
Group of seven men posing in front of colorful flags of Brazil, England, Spain, and Norway, wearing Brazilian football jerseys, some standing and some seated, indoors with a wooden floor and brick wall.
A Facebook comment expressing admiration for Uruguayan soccer, praising the national team and mentioning the iconic orange and blue colors of the team jerseys.
A man wearing a red, blue, and white striped Bahia soccer jersey discussing Bahia's new 2018 team shirt, with the shirt displayed on the right side of the image.
Fry from the cartoon Futurama angrily holding a stack of money, with the caption "Shut up and take my money!"
Screenshot of a Twitter reply in Portuguese discussing Cruzeiro.
A group of five men standing in front of a backdrop with various national flags, each wearing a different football jersey.
Back view of a young boy with red hair wearing a navy blue sports jersey with the name 'BRAYDON' printed on the back, sitting in front of a sports field glass staring at the field.
Screenshot of a Twitter post by Thiago Nogueira discussing the Nations Project and Umbro Brazil with hashtags #OFutebolNosUne and #UmbroNations.
Screenshot of a social media comment requesting to sell Umbro brand products in the USA.
A social media comment praising Helisson Santos from Football Kingdom for a perfect match against England.
Sports Illustrated webpage featuring a banner with four soccer players: Cristiano Ronaldo, Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, and Harry Kane in their team jerseys, celebrating. The headline reads "Chapecoense Releases New Kit to Honor Colombia, Thanking the Nation for Their Support."

Case Study

In Numbers

•

In Numbers •

7

Special jerseys

50MM

Organic media

ZERO

Money spent on FIFA copyright (or lawsuits)

A cartoon woman with a sad expression is lying in bed surrounded by scattered socks. Someone is offering her a wrapped gift with a bow, suggesting a festive or holiday setting.
Person smiling in rainbow-colored party background wearing round glasses, orange shirt, and green jacket, with doodle-like white lines added.