Every night I drive home through the city to where I live on the outskirts of Leeds.
It’s a pretty mundane journey, I know the sights and what to expect. I’ve been doing it a few years and even my new job has meant I pretty much take the same route.
About two weeks ago, I spotted an odd thing on the side of a fish and chip shop in Wortley. A blank space, painted white. Underneath it said ‘Tailored by Wortley’. A few days later, the number 16 appeared above it, well painted in Gill Sans. In fact, the whole thing looked cool, guerrilla and definitely on brand — for Umbro.
I was none the wiser. So I took a picture, and here it is (this is not a bad chippie by the way).
It was so nicely done (type and execution) it had to be a viral campaign of some sort. So tonight, after a few weeks of passing the damn thing, absent-mindedly thinking what it might be, I googled it.
And I was genuinely gobsmacked.
Number 16 is James Milner’s number in the England squad – and he’s from Leeds. It turns out Umbro have created a one off piece of ‘street art’ representing each of the England squad in the towns and cities where they are from. Each of these is in a location that meant something to them. Excuse my french, but that is fucking brilliant. What an idea.
Check it out here
Of course, there’s two in Leeds because we not only have James Milner, we have Aaron Lennon, whose wall is in Chapeltown (two Leeds lads in the England squad, when did that last happen?). Even Capello gets his own wall in Italy.
This idea passes the ‘wish I’d bloody done that’ with flying colours. Not only did it get me to take a picture of the wall I passed, I googled it and then discovered one of the nicest and most footballest ideas I’ve seen for a long time.
Maybe on the eve of the World Cup, I’m getting all misty eyed, feeling good and bad about the rollercoaster of emotions we’re all about to set off on.
Either that, or I have to take my hat off to a genuinely lovely idea that must have cost nack all to do. An idea that reinforces Umbro’s position as a grass roots football brand that cares about where we’re from, and more importantly, where we’re going.
Here’s to ideas and come on England!!!!!
DeanoBlog 
Clever and refreshingly not annoying.
That is indeed a great chippy. It’s just too far to walk for me but it’s only 5 minutes in the car. Anyway, what a great football idea from Umbro!
100% agree on it making you feel misty eyed…I think I’m going to drive up to Wortley on my lunch have a quiet moment to myself to prepare for the ensuing onslaught of patriotic surges and broken dreams.
My footy team made a video the other month which we thought would make quite a good ‘tingly, uplifting and proud feeling’ viral for Adidas…http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qI9kVlauSnc
That really is genius. Well done to Umbro!
Ah that’s what it’s about…. I saw the number 5 on the back of a paper a week or so ago…. I’m now enlightened…
Pingback: The Scratching Shed | Blog | World Cup: South Africa welcome the World as Umbro's viral ad makes waves back home
Just been checking out Globetroffers and watching boring France vs Uruguay and checked out your blog. We love this brilliant idea by Umbro and thanks mate for pointing it out.
G,D and T
Totally agree, a wonderful idea that can’t not make you smile. 🙂 I’m going to go and check out Aaron Lennon’s tomorrow I reckon.
Send me a picture! Do you know where it is?
Awesome! I’m not a massive football fan, but this is a great recognition of where players come from. I’m really impressed!
I see that on my way home – should it have been done in Horsforth though since he was only born in Wortley? Went to school at Westbrook Lane and Horsforth School so that makes him a Horsfordian in my book!
I thought Milner was from Horsforth too…maybe he was born there and they moved up market later!
Utterly brilliant campaign. This kind of ambient, ‘come find us’ PR appeals to a very different audience. One meaty thumbs up.
What a fantastic idea! Nice find Phil
Just to let you know, Aaron Lennon’s wall is in Chapeltown if you want to hunt it down, you can get a better idea of where all the walls are here: http://www.umbro.com/englandwalls/
Pingback: 2010 in review « DeanoBlog