London agency LoveGunn has collaborated with Oxford United on its new identity, designed to reach beyond football into new cultural and commercial fields (no pun intended) to help sustain the club’s on-pitch success.
The studio’s founder, Chris Gunn, was first introduced to Oxford United’s chief commercial & marketing officer, Adam Benson, through a mutual contact. One proposal later – alongside other agencies – Benson invited Gunn to a match against Bolton Wanderers to see the club’s ambitions in action. “Experiencing the atmosphere firsthand, we found a natural alignment between Oxford’s goals and our fan-led approach, setting the stage for a dynamic creative partnership,” says Gunn.
As with any rebrand, reaching and engaging with new audiences was part of the brief. However, Oxford United also clarified that it did not want to alienate existing fans and traditional supporters.
Established as Headington FC in 1893, Oxford United changed their name in 1960. More recently, and under new ownership, the club surprised everyone last season by winning the League One Play-Offs and moving up to the Championship for the first time in 25 years in the 24/25 season.
Despite recent successes, Gunn explains that the club understands “where they sit within the football pyramid” and accepts the reality of operating as a newly promoted Championship club.
“While they may not always compete at the highest levels on the pitch, the strategic vision is about leveraging this understanding to find new, innovative ways to engage with audiences and expand the fan base to sustain their success,” he adds.
Equally, LoveGunn didn’t have the same resources as a Premier League club, but that didn’t stop them from aiming for a level of branding worthy of top-tier ambitions, according to creative director Tom Love. He says: “Our goal was to reflect Oxford United’s forward-thinking outlook and attract new commercial opportunities without losing sight of what makes a football club unique.
“The world of football is intense, tribal, and fiercely loyal, and that sense of tradition and trust is paramount. We approached this project with the respect it deserves, ensuring every decision – no matter how progressive – honoured the club’s rich heritage and the deep cultural bond it shares with its supporters.”
Part of LoveGunn’s design philosophy is building brands from the inside out, and for this project, that meant putting the fans’ passion and perspectives at the core. The ambition involved Oxford United beyond its traditional football heritage and growing into a progressive lifestyle and entertainment brand while simultaneously celebrating the club’s cultural and community roots.
To achieve this, the agency had to push some boundaries, but speaking to loyal supporters and broader audiences helped them stay on track. However, LoveGun wanted to avoid large-scale fan forums, as they believe that they can often lead to conflicting viewpoints, ultimately diluting a club’s core identity and defeating the purpose of the brand refresh.
“Instead,