New Balance vows to ‘Hold Nothing Back’ in football charge as it unveils first Liverpool kit
New Balance has unveiled the first Liverpool kit in its multi-million deal with the Premier League club, marking the start in earnest of its global push to unseat Puma as the world’s third largest football brand.
The kit’s design is adorned with visual nods to fans of the club, while simultaneously featuring technical flourishes positioned as among the most innovative in the sport.
The chequerboard pattern on the club’s home kit takes inspiration from the iconic red and white mosaic of flags and scarves that fill the team’s iconic stand –The Kop. New Balance’s Dry technology is weaved into the kit, allowing players to keep cool whilst being active. It also automatically adjusts to the body shape of the wearer to allow for easier movement.
The shirt's simplicity and style is reminiscent of the those worn by the club legends like Kenny Dalglish and John Barnes who were part of the dominant side in the 1980s.
Robin Wright, general manager of New Balance Football, said: “As we enter into a new era between New Balance and Liverpool Football Club, we want to celebrate the sacred bond between the club, the fans and the players. We have worked closely with [the club] throughout the design process and I believe the product team has captured this bond in the shirt textile design. At New Balance we pride ourselves in being at the forefront of technical innovation and this shirt sets the benchmark for football performance wear.”
The shirt launch feeds into New Balance’s wider campaign with the club, dubbed, #HoldNothingBack. It tries to encapsulate the attitudes of both the team and their supporters to football with New Balance lacing its marketing with a more grassroots feel in order to stand apart from its rivals.
Last month, it launched the #NBFootball ad (see above) to push its brand credentials to its core audience of 17-25 year olds. The ad features a host of global stars of the game including Premier League players Aaron Ramsey, Adnan Januzaj, Samir Nasri, all espousing their relentless desire to improve.
New Balance has made no secret of its plan to make headway into football in the short-term with a view to toppling Puma as the third biggest brand in the sport. To do this, the brand is working with agency Wolfpack to develop promotions that inspire players of all levels of the sport instead of focusing on the almost superhuman-feats of some of the world’s greatest players that its larger rivals like Nike and Adidas are more concerned with in their mainstream communications.