Since the entrance of new owner John Henry and the Fenway Sports Group in 2010, Liverpool Football Club has slowly taken on certain attributes more recognizable to a Bostonian than a Merseyside local. In addition to Dunkin' Donuts' sponsorship of the world renowned team, Boston-based company New Balance was also recently added to the list. "New Balance genuinely wants our athletes to be happy in the products they wear."[/pullquote]
The all-important "kit deal" (or rights to design the team's jersey) was awarded to Warrior (now operating under the New Balance brand), with the 2015-2016 jersey being the first to formally have the New Balance name on it. So far, the jersey's tastefully basic design has received positive reviews.
Recently, BostInno was able to chat with Richard Wright, the general manager for New Balance Football. Here's what he had to say about some background info regarding that went into the jersey's design:
HB: What were your initial thoughts about Liverpool going into the project?
Richard Wright: I was part of the Warrior team and when we first secured the sponsorship of Liverpool, it was one of the proudest moments in my career. Warrior had a vision to make a big difference in football and working with one of the biggest clubs in the world gave us a platform to take a giant leap towards that vision. After the brand made the decision to operate under the New Balance name, that same excitement I experienced with Warrior returned. It was another opportunity to harness the brand values that have made New Balance one of the biggest sports manufactures in the world into the new Liverpool products.
Watching Liverpool come onto the field in the gear that the team you have been a part of designed is certainly a seminal moment in your career. You get quite emotional about it. When you walk around a city, be it Liverpool or Singapore, and see fans who are proud to be walking around in your gear, that makes you feel proud. For guys who are football fans to have the opportunity to supply Liverpool FC is amazing.
When you examined the old Liverpool kits, what did you want to use in the New Balance version? Was there a specific old kit that you drew inspiration from? And what did you want to harness for the kit that was new?
The kit has a sleek and sophisticated style, and celebrates some of the classic moments of LFC’s history. It is reminiscent of shirts that club legends like Kenny Dalglish wore as part of the dominant side in the 1980s. The simplicity of the design honours the clubs illustrious heritage. The shirt is engineered to offer the players the latest in performance innovation, kit technology and garment optimization.
#HoldNothingBack. The 2015/16 New Balance @LFC Away kit. pic.twitter.com/itFkYlLAFl
— NBFootball (@NBFootball) July 16, 2015
In basic terms, what was the philosophy behind the first New Balance design of the Liverpool kit? In other words, what did you want expressed in the kit itself?
The core feature of the new shirt is a chequerboard jacquard, which draws inspiration from the LFC fans in one of the most iconic stands in world football - The Kop. The design is linked to New Balance’s LFC campaign, #HoldNothingBack, a reflection on the team and fans’ attitude towards the club. We wanted to celebrate the sacred bond between the club, the fans and the players.
How long was the design process and how many edits/modifications had to be made before the final product was ready?
I can’t give away too much but it’s a process that doesn’t happen overnight. The team draws inspiration from a variety of different properties. The heritage of the club is always a prominent component during the design process, as well as past kits, current fashion and architectural trends. We aim to bring innovation and world-class products to Liverpool FC and its global fan-base. The kits are all designed with New Balance’s leading edge technology to ensure the players are provided the right apparel to withstand the high standards which they play.
Do the players or coaches have any input in it?
Absolutely. Our relationship with the club is very much a partnership. The players love it because they have direct access to the design and product and the team at New Balance loves it because they have access to the players and coaches to get direct feedback. New Balance genuinely wants our athletes to be happy in the products they wear and perform to their best. This mentality filters down throughout the business and it really helps deliver the best products for all our athletes.
What has the reaction been to the kit that you've heard?
A good indicator is usually the sales figures and this year we’ve had record numbers on pre-order sales and shirt sales. Beside the financials, I think what’s most pleasing is the reaction on social media. We have a team who are dedicated purely to social media and they monitor the fan sentiment and feed that back to the design team to help with future designs. It’s where the fans can really voice their opinions and the reaction to the three kits has been overwhelmingly positive.
Image via New Balance