the big four: liverpool
Promoting Manchester City vs Liverpool
Well next up in the Big Four campaign (read here—or here—if you haven't a clue) it was Liverpool. And who better to pick to celebrate than Craig Bellamy.
Craig Bellamy is one of the most passionate players in the Premiership. This passion is often misconstrued, being wrongly described in the past as ‘truculent’ ‘vociferous’ and ‘a pest’. But we didn't see it that way. Sure, he goes about things in a different way to other players, but that's what makes him stand out. We don't see this as aggression but rather Bellamy's tireless dedication and demanding hunger to play football, and to win. When he plays he gives his all and we wanted to illustrate the passionate change that happens as he crosses the white line.
And to do this we commissioned Gig-poster God Todd Slater to refine our doodle of the double-sided Bellamy into the ferocious beast you see above in blue. Now, if you don't know, The Todd has been referred to as "the Picasso of Gig Posters" and judging by his credentials, it's easy to see why. And the illustration he did for us was no different. What we wanted was to show the player as everyone sees him superficially, but show that almost Incredible Hulk change that happens when Bellamy plays*. We then took the illustration and created a silk-screened poster that was fly-postered around the city.
Never afraid of a left-field idea, we thought it would be great to do something to further support this idea of Bellamy's duality. And what better a way than to do it in a way that a football club never has—creating a short-film piece on the player. Have a watch below:
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The piece—I Give My All—was pretty fresh for a football club. No other team really celebrates their players in such a way. If you'd like to know more (and play Spot Craig) have a look here at Making Of I Give My All.
Of course this was only one part to the campaign. Bellamy also imposed himself and his character change on Manchester. We had daily changes on 96-sheet billboards that built-up the idea over the week revealing to commuters, shoppers and general passers-by the change Bellamy undergoes from dressing room to pitch. He also cornered you at street level too, covering the entire cornerstones of buildings so that, depending on which way you were coming, you were dictated which Bellamy you'd be confronted by.
Design by Music.
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Featured in Design Week 18 February 2010.
Featured in FourFourTwo.
Featured on the BBC's Match of the Day 2 21 February 2010.
Featured in The Drum 14 February 2010.
Featured in Campaign March 25 2010.
On the cover of the City programme as well as a spread in the Clubs official magazine.
*And if you're thinking "well isn't he nasty all of the time" well no he isn't—officially he's the most charitable footballer in the Premier League and has his own foundation that does great work. Have a look.
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