Every shirt tells a story.
Joey D'Urso, an award-winning journalist from The Times and formerly of The Athletic, joins UP to discuss his new book: More Than A Shirt: How Football Shirts Explain Global Politics, Money and Power.
• How the Gazprom sponsorship on FC Schalke 04's shirts reflects Russia's geopolitical strategies leading up to the invasion of Ukraine.
• The criminal ties and money laundering schemes highlighted by clubs like Colombia's Envigado FC.
• The dark side of the global gambling industry and the rise and fall of cryptocurrency sponsorships, like Football Index, that adorned shirts of clubs such as Nottingham Forest.
• The use of football as a tool for authoritarian power, exemplified by Newcastle United's Saudi ownership.
• And the symbolism of the England women's goalkeeper shirt, connecting to the broader story of women's rights and the growing popularity of the women's game.
Get ready to see the world, and your favorite jerseys, in a whole new light.
This episode of the Unofficial Partner podcast is brought to you by Sid Lee Sport.
Sid Lee Sport is a new breed of agency that combines world class creativity with deep sponsorship expertise, flawless operational delivery, and a culture of marketing effectiveness. They have a creative philosophy of producing famous campaigns and activations that build buzz and conversation in a category that too often looks and sounds the same. And they're pioneering a new standard of effectiveness in sports marketing, using econometrics and attribution models to go beyond traditional media ROI.
So if you're looking for an agency to take your brand to the top, get in touch with the team at Sid Lee Sport, where brands become champions.
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