The Rig Out – the full-service creative studio headed up by Bolton born Glenn Kitson – was recently appointed to direct and produce the film for the Barcelona 99 shoe by adidas originals in celebration of the 20th anniversary of Manchester United’s treble winning 1999 season.
The season that culminated in a dramatic European cup final between Manchester United and Bayern Munich at Barcelona’s Camp Nou.
Every United fan knows exactly what they were doing, where they were sitting, what they saw, heard and were wearing, when Sloskjaer’s goal went in to give them a 2-1 win. The film is a story that captivates the entire era, filmed in key 90s style locations all across Manchester and telling the story of the people who witnessed that decade.
Director Glenn Kitson said, “We wanted to focus on the 90s as an entire decade and climaxing with the history defining moment of the treble winning in 1999. There was a massive progression within the era, both for the club and the social changes alongside it, with the class of 92 and the start of the Premiership, to New Labour and the birth of the internet. Capturing the zeitgeist of the 1990s was key.”
Using a combination of new footage produced by The Rig Out and old archive footage, the piece feels emotive and nostalgic to the decade whilst keeping it exciting with the clever use of after effects that nod to the 90s. Magnifying the wins, the changes, and the youth who created it, in an immersive piece with the voice over by local legend Mani from the Stone Roses.
This is the latest in adidas’s ongoing collaboration with Manchester United, the Barcelona 99 shoe is white with red stripes, has consistent co-branding elements and Sloskjaer’s now iconic celebration printed in the sock lining. There will be a tightly allocated distribution of 1,999 pairs in total and the shoes will be available at all the usual haunts for collectors.
