What we were asked to do
Umbro was planning to launch Evolution X, a new range of performance sportswear spanning football apparel, equipment and footwear. The range, which targets 16 to 20 year old consumers, was to be launched in June 2004 to coincide with Euro 2004. Our brief was to create a series of television commercials that would communicate the high performance potential of Evolution X and promote the brand.
What we did
In conjunction with commercials director, Richard Oliver, we created a series of 60, 30 and 10 second ads, all of which carry the campaign line 'Football has evolved'.
The ads feature England national 'hero' players Michael Owen, David James and John Terry being transformed in 'superhumans' as a result of wearing the performance-enhancing products from the Evolution X collection. The players (an attacker, a defender and a goalkeeper) represent the backbone of a football team and the underlying message is that anyone who wears Evolution X can perform at their best.
The style and production techniques used for the ads were modern and contemporary, reflecting the technologies used in the boots, apparel and equipment. The players were initially shot on 33mm film and graded at a facility. Once digitised all post-production - image enhancement, colour correction, motion tracking, rotoscoping, animation and effects were undertaken in house by Code.
What happened
The final audio design was created by local agency Bent Ear, who created a distinctive score that perfectly matched the sequence. The ads ran throughout June and July on MTV and across Europe and South America.
They have received much praise from client and industry, being nominated for several motion graphics awards and winning Best Commercial at the 2005 Fresh Design Awards.
See what we've done