A new folklore for football
Creative work with gravity
Orbit is our curated selection of creative, branding and design work we keep coming back to. The ideas with pull. The projects that prove great creative thinking is not just about how something looks, but how it expresses itself, creates conversation and earns a place in culture.
Designed to be distinctive. ORBIT Issue 08 explores the ways brands are expressing themselves beyond traditional identity systems, through culture, community, physical environments and experiences that people actively participate in.
Football fandom becomes modern folklore.
Palace Skateboards, Nike and England have created something that feels less like a football advert and more like a piece of cultural storytelling for the England World Cup campaign featuring Wayne Rooney and Jill Scott.
Instead of feeling like a normal football advert, the film turns England fandom into a cultural myth, mixing football, British humour, nostalgia and streetwear energy through cinematic storytelling and iconic UK references like Stonehenge and Shakespeare. The collaboration feels particularly well judged with a strong audience crossover. Palace brings youth and streetwear credibility, while Nike and England bring mainstream scale and familiarity.
Featuring Wayne Rooney is a smart nostalgia play, tapping into classic Nike Football memories for millennials. The campaign also feels authentically British, leaning heavily into UK culture in a way that still feels globally appealing.
More like a film than an ad, the cinematic storytelling gives it replay value and stronger social impact.
What we love most is how it focuses on culture over product, selling identity and emotion rather than simply promoting football kits.
Read more: Nike x Palace World Cup spot is a love letter to England
Catch up on the full issue here: Orbit Issue 08
Explore the latest creative work and catch up on everything else in our Orbit here.
