Watford Kit Launch 2025/26

I worked across the launch and rollout of all three Watford FC kits for the 2025/26 season, contributing to the creative direction and design execution of the launch campaigns. My focus was on how each kit was introduced, communicated and experienced across digital and physical touchpoints.

Graphic Design, creative Direction, Artworking

Football player, Rocco Vata, wearing a yellow and red Watford FC jersey against a dark red background with the text 'Our Home. shop.watfordfc.com'.

Football player, Anna Filbey, wearing a yellow and red Watford FC jersey sitting on concrete stairs in a dark, fenced corridor.

Two football players, Zavier Massiah-Edwards and Amin Nabizada, sitting on stairs wearing yellow and red Watford football jerseys.

I helped develop the season’s shared narrative framework, designed to give each kit its own story while maintaining a cohesive identity across the full rollout.

The home kit launch centred on the fans and their deep connection to the club. Built around the tagline ‘Our Home’, the campaign celebrated Watford’s identity through photography shot on location in and around Vicarage Road.

Football player, Maddie Perry, in green Watford FC kit smiling and reaching toward the camera with text 'Our Nature.' and shop.watfordfc.com on black background.

Football player, Nestory Irankunda, wearing green checkered Watford FC soccer jersey standing with clasped hands against a dark, textured background.

Football player, James Abankwah, wearing green Watford FC jersey sitting with arms crossed against a dark background with text 'Our Nature' and website shop.watfordfc.com.

Football player, Maddie Perry, in dark green sports jersey with arms crossed, with text about planting a tree for every three shirts sold.

Football player, James Abankwah in a green patterned sports jersey with clenched fists and a big smile under the text 'Our Nature.'

Football player, Amar Sanghrajka, wearing a green and black patterned Watford football shirt holding the bottom edges and smiling, with text about planting a tree for every three shirts sold.

For the away kit, I developed the concept ‘Our Nature’, extending the season narrative through a theme that referenced the forest green colourway, the club’s commitment to sustainability, and the passion and intensity of the players and fans.

I played a key role in shaping the creative direction and rollout, translating the idea into a clear, confident visual language. The launch was supported by a tangible environmental commitment, with a donation made from every shirt sold to local tree-planting initiatives.

Watford emblem made of silver diamond-like dots on a dark blue background, featuring a stylized deer's head and antlers.

Collage featuring Watford Football Club crest, a vintage team photo, Elton John in retro football kit, and a close-up of the Watford crest on a blue fabric.

Football player, Luca Kjerrumgaard, in blue sports jersey, standing with arms crossed against blue background with text 'Our Song.'

Blue textured fabric with faint star pattern and text 'Our Song.' above Kelme and Watford logos at the bottom.

Football player, Moussa Sissoko, in a blue Watford jersey pointing towards the camera with a smile against a light blue background and text 'Our Song.' below.

Close-up of blue Watford football jersey featuring the club crest with a moose emblem and the text 'Our Song.' below.

Empty football stadium, Vicarage Road, with yellow and red seats and a green pitch, featuring blue dugout covers labeled 'Elton John Special Edition Kit'.

Smiling man in a yellow Watford football jersey and scarf holding a blue football shirt and a yellow Watford shopping bag outside the stadium, Vicarage Road.

Watford team in blue jerseys huddling on the field inside a crowded Vicarage Road stadium under a sign that reads 'YOUR SONG'.

The third kit was a limited-edition collaboration celebrating Elton John’s extraordinary connection to the club. Continuing the narrative, I developed the concept ‘Our Song’, referencing both Your Song – played before kick-off at Vicarage Road – and the shared history between the club, the artist and the fans.

Launched for the home fixture against Blackburn Rovers to mark 50 years since Elton’s involvement with the club, the campaign was designed to feel celebratory and culturally significant. I contributed to the creative direction and design execution of the launch, positioning the kit as a collector’s piece while honouring a defining chapter in the club’s history.

The release was met with an overwhelmingly positive response, with the shirt becoming the fastest-selling kit in Watford FC’s history.

The project required balancing heritage, storytelling and modern football culture across multiple launches, ensuring each kit had a distinct voice while feeling part of a unified season narrative.

Photography: Ben 'Dusty' Rhodes & Alan Cozzi
Videography: Ben 'Dusty' Rhodes, Ben Fullylove, & Zakk Holroyd
Design: Luke Burford, Jaden Haynes, & Niall Walsh

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