JD Sports Honours Youth Culture to Celebrate 25 Years of Iconic Duffle Bag

JD, the leading retailer for youth fashion and sportswear brands, announces the launch of its new brand platform, ‘Forever Forward’ with a seasonal campaign titled ‘The Bag for Life’. The highly anticipated multichannel campaign from Uncommon will span across TV, VOD, Cinema, Retail, OOH, DOOH, Murals, Social and Online in the UK, Australia, Canada, South East Asia and Europe.

This year, JD celebrates 25 years since its iconic duffle bag first launched. The duffle bag’s role as an enduring symbol of British youth culture sits at the heart of this new global campaign. Whether serving as a boot bag, a record bag, a school bag, or carried crossbody, the JD duffle has been an unwavering companion through generations.

The work celebrates the JD duffle bag and the people that wear it - reflecting the authentic role JD continues to play in youth culture today.

The campaign is spearheaded by a heightened documentary style film - titled ‘The Bag for Life’ - marking a distinct new direction for the brand. Soundtracked to the timeless classic ‘Sweet Harmony’ by Liquid, the launch film is rooted in authentic, relatable, real-life scenarios of JD consumers.

From a first kiss, to kickabouts on the street, family gatherings and hanging out with mates, the film follows the JD duffle bag forwards through moments we all know and love during the holiday period.

The film is curated with talent across sport, entertainment, music and culture - featuring fifteen well-known faces alongside street-cast young people to empower and inspire the next generation. Talent includes: Kano, Central Cee, Joy Crookes and Nia Archives. Directed by Amara Abbas from Iconoclast, the film deviates from archetypal Christmas tropes, delivering a counterpoint that resonates with the brand’s core audience and communities.

To kick off the outdoor campaign, the executions initially teased mysterious shots of unknown models wearing the iconic JD duffle bag from behind. When the campaign went live, all media switched simultaneously to reveal the identity of the models: celebrity talent - also icons of youth culture today.

Key OOH will also go live in relation to key areas associated with the talent - for example Central Cee’s execution will be across Shepherd’s Bush — his home neighbourhood.

Benny Everitt, executive creative director at Uncommon Creative Studio said, “The JD duffle bag has been a central part in British youth culture across the years. We wanted to create a campaign that celebrated its relevance today now more than ever - using the bag itself as a connection point between the brand and its audience. Using authentic moments, talent and tactical outdoor to bring this message to bear over the festive season.”

Chris Waters, EU marketing director at JD added, “JD has always been the force behind propelling youth culture forwards, and we want to commend the unique place that the brand is fortunate enough to occupy. As the number one retailer for sports fashion and lifestyle, we’re excited to unveil ‘Forever Forward’, whilst celebrating the 25th anniversary of the JD duffle being a visible icon for our audience. This year’s cast are all young individuals with their own innate power to shape the world around them, and JD takes pride in spotlighting this amazing talent to encourage the next generation to continually move Forever Forward”.

‘Forever Forward’ launches in JD stores, shopping malls and high streets this November, serving up all the sports fashion essentials this Christmas. The iconic JD duffle will be recreated and brought to life through a series of fun consumer digital and in-store experiences.

The film opens with some establishing portraits of young JD protagonists, and then quickly lands upon a group of kids wheelieing their bikes past a cabbie who calls out “kids nowadays eh?”. What subsequently unfolds is a heart-warming and positive depiction of captivating fast-cut vignettes.

Central Cee in a JD store picking up something fresh. Sturdy Off shamelessly vibing during a freestyle dance. Davido, Ronisia and Ella Toone make appearances before a couple of young sneakerheads return home to greet their parents. Kano celebrates at a typical Christmas feast with his actual family, who he requested be cast in the spot specifically to give the realism and authenticity that the campaign is all about. AntsLive rides a horse at Vauxhall City Farm. A group of lyricists spit bars in a huddle. Cut back to Cench as his artist Kirbs freestyles at a pirate radio session.

The action begins to move in slow motion as the camera finds Joy Crookes feeling the music at a Nia Archives rave. And then the visuals speed up as the song drops, and we see young adults raving, horses rearing, lovers kissing under streetlights and friends sharing special moments. Chunkz & Darkest crack each other up whilst chilling on the front steps of a block of flats. Mar Lucas laughs playfully and Omar Montes makes his way down the street, phone in hand. Cat Burns grabs some food on the way home from a night out. Two boys play video games late into the night, banter bouncing off the walls.