2021 saw the highest number of teenage murders on the streets of London on record. Knife crime has been on the rise in the capital for a number of years and cuts in government budgets have seen 750 youth centres close. Arsenal & adidas are uniquely placed to play a vital role within London to help provide alternative pathways. “No More Red” is a long-term initiative for young Londoners to help them stay away from youth violence through active mentorship and the creation of safe spaces.

To generate noise around the initiative we created a moment that got the Nation talking. The campaign kicked off with a bold statement removing the iconic red from the Arsenal home kit, to create an all-white kit symbolic of an ambition to eradicate bloodshed amongst London’s youth. Adidas and Arsenal teamed up with lifelong Arsenal fan Idris Elba and Arsenal legend Ian Wright to help launch the kit.

The special white kit was worn in game by Arsenal live on National TV in one of the biggest moments in the sporting calendar, the FA Cup. The broadcast included a 10-minute pitch side discussion about the campaign before the game with Idris Elba and Ian Wright, and our hero film being played live during the segment too.

The campaign had zero paid media behind it, so we needed to create a clear, multi-channel launch window to ensure we got people talking, and understanding, what No More Red was about.

To launch the initiative, we created a launch film which was published across social with support from current and ex- Arsenal players including Ian Wright and Bukayo Saka, as well as the legendary Arsenal fan Idris Elba.

The film gained organic media coverage on ITV with a dedicated segment in the pre-match coverage of the FA Cup Game. This was supported by a series of longer-form films that further highlighted the issues, discussed how role models and creativity can form part of the solution and introduced the No More Red Collective. They ran across adidas owned social channels and .com. In addition, Idris Elba and Ian Wright were interviewed for feature press articles where they discussed the campaign and why they’re proud to support it.

All this meant, by the time Arsenal walked onto the pitch in a historic all white kit, everyone watching knew why.

Seen by 20% of UK population

And 33+ million people worldwide

1500+ pieces of global coverage

Debated in UK parliament

£0 spent on paid media