London agency LoveGunn has partnered with Oxford United to create a new identity that expands beyond football into different cultural and commercial realms to support the club’s success on the field. The collaboration came about after LoveGunn’s founder, Chris Gunn, connected with Oxford United’s chief commercial & marketing officer, Adam Benson. Following a visit to a match against Bolton Wanderers, Gunn and his team found a shared vision with Oxford United and embarked on a creative partnership.
The goal of the rebrand was to attract new audiences while maintaining the loyalty of existing fans. Oxford United, formerly known as Headington FC, has recently achieved success by moving up to the Championship after winning the League One Play-Offs. Despite their recent accomplishments, the club acknowledges its position within the football hierarchy and aims to engage with fans in innovative ways to sustain their progress.
LoveGunn, despite not having the resources of a Premier League club, aimed to create branding that reflected Oxford United’s forward-thinking approach. By involving fans in the design process and honoring the club’s heritage, LoveGunn sought to transform Oxford United into a lifestyle and entertainment brand while staying true to its roots.
To ensure that the rebrand stayed authentic to the club’s identity, LoveGunn engaged with supporters in a focused and organic manner, avoiding large-scale fan forums. By listening to fan sentiment through various channels, the agency gained valuable insights that informed the new brand identity. LoveGunn’s experience in collaborating with football clubs of all levels has shown them that successful rebrands are those that remain faithful to the club’s spirit. LoveGunn began its approach for Oxford United by using insights to honor the club’s legacy while presenting a fresh, future-facing identity. Love explains that the strategy focused on reaffirming the club’s unique identity by listening to fans, local partners, and the Oxford community to create a new look that feels like ‚their‘ club, proud of its heritage yet ready for the future. The result is a visual toolkit that embodies the club’s vision of ‚Dream. Inspire.‘ and aims to create a personal connection with fans.
The new toolkit includes refreshed graphic assets, a modern motif inspired by Oxford’s skyline, and a fresh color palette that brightens classic yellow and blue hues while introducing heritage colors like gold and black. LoveGunn also developed a secondary palette that speaks to different facets of Oxford’s character, such as Green Spire and Graffiti Pink. The agency drew inspiration from Oxford’s heritage and contemporary future to create a new typeface that pays tribute to the city’s roots while positioning the club as innovative.
LoveGunn’s art direction for the club focuses on capturing football’s raw emotions and immersing fans in the passion of Oxford United. The agency aimed to give the club a unified voice that appeals to lifelong supporters and a new generation by using motivational phrases like ‚Push Forward‘ and ‚Chase Glory‘. The reaction from fans has been positive, indicating a successful rebrand that opens up new opportunities for the club commercially and culturally.