Canterbury
IRFU 150th
Insight
150th anniversaries don’t come around too often (roughly once every 150 years, according to our research). Canterbury were launching a limited-edition kit commemorating 150 years of rugby in Ireland, paying homage to the history of Irish international rugby with a classic design taking inspiration from 1875. This was a once-in-a-lifetime celebration offering fans the opportunity to be part of a genuinely historic moment. So, no pressure then…
Challenge
Reverence, nostalgia, classic… if done wrong, these could all be bywords for boring. Our challenge was to do justice to the heritage and historical significance of the jersey without creating something utterly dry and bereft of character. We needed to appeal equally to the elder statesman classicist as well as the new breed of fashion-forward, contemporary rugby fans.
Change
We leaned into the aesthetic codes of quiet luxury and premium lookbooks to elevate CCC and IRFU into an entirely new visual territory. Heroing the shirt itself with a simple, elegant backdrop and light with an intimate, inviting and minimal set-up, we shot portraits of the players as well as fans to show that this isn’t just a pro-level shirt with the latest performance technology, it’s also a thing of beauty and a collector’s item available for everyone and anyone who wants to wear their heritage with pride.
Insight
150th anniversaries don’t come around too often (roughly once every 150 years, according to our research). Canterbury were launching a limited-edition kit commemorating 150 years of rugby in Ireland, paying homage to the history of Irish international rugby with a classic design taking inspiration from 1875. This was a once-in-a-lifetime celebration offering fans the opportunity to be part of a genuinely historic moment. So, no pressure then…
Challenge
Reverence, nostalgia, classic… if done wrong, these could all be bywords for boring. Our challenge was to do justice to the heritage and historical significance of the jersey without creating something utterly dry and bereft of character. We needed to appeal equally to the elder statesman classicist as well as the new breed of fashion-forward, contemporary rugby fans.
Change
We leaned into the aesthetic codes of quiet luxury and premium lookbooks to elevate CCC and IRFU into an entirely new visual territory. Heroing the shirt itself with a simple, elegant backdrop and light with an intimate, inviting and minimal set-up, we shot portraits of the players as well as fans to show that this isn’t just a pro-level shirt with the latest performance technology, it’s also a thing of beauty and a collector’s item available for everyone and anyone who wants to wear their heritage with pride.
