WhiteHype x Southampton : Art and Illustration : Soccer Bible

Offering a creative outlet for Southampton Football Club, south coast based WhiteHype have helped on a number of projects for the club. This being the launch of the 15/16 home kit by adidas.

Creating bespoke art work to help launch the kits, the creative agency also helped create various pieces of point of sale artwork. Getting under the hood of the project, we spoke to founder Matt White.



Can you give us a bit of background as to who you guys are and how you work with Southampton Football Club?

WhiteHype is a design agency based in Southampton, set up in 2013 by myself, Matt White and Chris Whitehorn. Chris and I met and worked together in the fashion industry, heading up a creative team at a trend forecasting agency. Now at WhiteHype, we run a close knit team of talented and driven people that pair creative innovation with hard graft!

Working with Southampton FC, we have created a diverse collection of work from kit launch marketing to the art direction of the office interior. Being fans of the club has helped, as we are keen to drive emotive campaigns that really get the backing of the fans.

What was the inspiration between the work in launching the new kits?

With our kit launch work, we wanted to capture the energy and buzz, after Saints had such a positive previous season.

Using the messaging 'Show Your Stripes' we wanted to design something bold with stripes that was strong and simple enough to work from afar but intricate enough to be appreciated up close.

We created a campaign that spurred fans to enter the next season with pride and energy. Kit shoot photography can become very stale and serious, so we wanted to add an effect that really added vibrancy and life to the piece.

Offering design to the football world, have you seen the level of creative work coming out of the game improve?

Yes absolutely!

I think clubs are more aware than ever of the importance of branding, particularly where the premier league reaches such a huge audience. From my point of view, good design is crucial to communicating messages to audiences. It has the power to inform, inspire and make you identify with the club.

Progressive football clubs are looking at a wider range of creative influences and seem more prepared to set the trend rather than follow – I may be biased, but Saints are a great example!

Can you tell us about any upcoming football related projects you've got coming up?

We are working with Southampton FC on a distinctive set of social media graphics – For football clubs, its an area that is going to up its game creatively this season – fans, of course, want the team to be performing on a Saturday, but in a media connected society, clubs have the opportunity to reach them not only in the 90 mins, but before and after the game, and all through the week.

We have also just finished a luxury case bound memorial book for Marcus Liebherr and are working on new branding for the Southampton FC Academy.

Precise execution and delivery, it's always good to celebrate where football and the creative worlds collide. The output of marketing materials, part and parcel of the game these days the highest standards should be delivered on the world's biggest sporting and competitive stage both on and off the pitch.