Southampton Football Club has unveiled its new 2021/2022 home kit with AR technology built into the design.
Southampton
The Premier League side has worked with Formidable and UNIT9 on the tech, while the design itself sees them reunited with German Danish sportswear giant hummel for the first time since 1991.
Different icons (AR trigger points) on the shirt design can be scanned using a smartphone camera to unlock a series of exclusive content including a 3D James Ward-Prowse doing keepy-ups right in-front of their eyes and a 360-degree portal which transports fans straight into the heart of St Mary’s Stadium.
The shirt itself features the iconic red and white stripes synonymous with the club complete with a unique to Southampton neckline with black detail and hummel chevrons across the shoulders and within the stripes, which are meant to "give the illusion of movement and dynamism".
The press release continues: "Taking inspiration from the last shirt worn at the The Dell in the 2001/02 season, the shirt is a celebration of the club’s DNA with both The Dell and St Mary’s Stadium outline graphic featuring within the inner back and outer back graphic calling out 20 years at the current ground.
"A final nod to the home of Southampton Football Club sees the names of the stands from both stadiums featuring along the inner back hem."
Sarah Batters - Director of Marketing and Partnerships at Southampton FC - said: “As we mark the 20th anniversary of Southampton Football Club at St Mary’s, the players, the staff and the fans alike are proud to celebrate our current home but also remember and celebrate The Dell and that’s why the new kit features a creative nod to both. It’s all part of the Southampton DNA”
“We’re a club driven to innovate, and the AR technology is an exciting way to bring our fans closer to the club and bring their shirt to life with that extra exclusive content that we know they’ll absolutely love.”