Southampton FC unveils AR home shirt

Partnering with manufacturer Hummel, Southampton FC has developed a shirt that includes the latest AR technology embedded within it.

Fans will be able to scan parts of the shirt to unlock exclusive content including a 3D augmented reality version of Saints club captain, James Ward-Prowse who comes to life through your smartphone.

To help launch the shirt, the club has also released a ‘mockumentary’ called ‘The Southampton DNA’ which follows two scientists trying to extract DNA from the club’s past and present to insert in the new kit, in a light-hearted nod to Amazon’s All or Nothing documentaries. 

While the home shirt celebrates history and nostalgia, it does so with one eye firmly on the future, featuring the latest in AR technology from partners Formidable and UNIT9. 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-uppies right in-front of their eyes and a 360-degree portal which transports fans straight into the heart of St Mary’s Stadium.

• Saints reveal the new home kit for the 2021/22 season celebrating 20 years at St. Mary’s
• A first of its kind, fans will be able to scan parts of the shirt to unlock exclusive content including a 3D augmented reality version of Saints captain, James Ward-Prowse
• Saints will be back in partnership with Danish sportswear giants, hummel, for the first time since 1991
• The new Southampton Football Club home shirt is on sale now, available in adult men, women, junior and mini kit sizes.

Says Sarah Batters, Director of Marketing and Partnerships at Southampton FC:

“As we mark the 20^th 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.”

Adds Pete Gibbons, Co-Founder of Formidable:

“This world-first AR integration within a football shirt represents both the incredibly rich history of Southampton Football Club and its leadership innovation. We want the AR experience to push the boundaries of fan interaction and bring the unique DNA of the club to life in fans homes and anywhere they wear their shirts.”