HULL CITY X **UMBRO KIT** **LAUNCHES**

18/19 AND 19/20

Overview

The Hull City AFC kit launches for the 2018/19 and 2019/20 seasons were strategically important brand and commercial moments, sitting at the intersection of supporter identity, retail performance and partner value.

As the Club’s senior stakeholder for kit design and launch, I led collaboration with Umbro to ensure the kits functioned not only as on-pitch performance wear, but as commercially strong, culturally credible brand assets. The work focused on aligning product design, storytelling and supporter engagement to strengthen brand consistency and maximise launch impact.

The Challenge

The Club needed kit launches that could:

Rebuild supporter confidence and emotional connection following a period of brand disruption
Deliver strong retail performance in a competitive football merchandise market
Balance Umbro partnership requirements with Hull City’s evolving brand identity
Ensure design, communications and rollout were tightly aligned across channels

Strategy

I positioned the kits as core brand products, not just seasonal releases, with a launch approach grounded in clarity, heritage and supporter relevance.

Key strategic principles included:

Product-led storytelling: allowing the design, details and symbolism of the kit to lead the narrative
Supporter-first framing: ensuring launches felt inclusive, authentic and credible
Commercial alignment: coordinating design, communications and retail readiness to drive sell-through
Operational discipline: aligning football, commercial, media and retail teams around a single launch plan

Leadership & Delivery

Acting as the Club’s senior brand stakeholder, I led end-to-end oversight across design, approvals and launch execution.

Responsibilities included:

Leading creative collaboration with Umbro across both seasons
Providing brand direction and sign-off to ensure consistency with the Club’s wider identity reset
Overseeing launch strategy across communications, marketing, digital and supporter engagement
Coordinating internal teams to deliver a cohesive, high-impact rollout across all touchpoints

Launch & Execution

The launch approach integrated:

Clear product storytelling across owned and earned channels
Coordinated digital, social and press activity
Retail and e-commerce readiness to support immediate conversion
Supporter-facing communications designed to build pride and advocacy

Impact

Delivered two successful season launches with strong supporter reception
Strengthened brand consistency across kits, communications and retail environments
Supported improved commercial performance through clearer product positioning and launch alignment
Reinforced Umbro partnership value through disciplined, brand-led execution

Strategic Significance

This work demonstrated the importance of treating kit launches as strategic brand moments, where product, storytelling and supporter trust must operate in sync. By leading the process at stakeholder level, the Club was able to deliver launches that were commercially effective, culturally credible and aligned with its longer-term brand direction.