Como 1907 have become one of football’s most recognisable style stories. Their latest kit campaign, however, turns the attention away from the players and towards the people who make the city what it is.
Few clubs have transformed their image quite like Como in recent years.
From their return to Serie A to their increasingly ambitious approach to fashion, the Italian side have developed an identity that extends well beyond the football pitch.
Their latest adidas release continues that journey, although this time the story is less about making a dramatic visual statement and more about recognising the community behind the club.
The campaign puts local entrepreneurs and independent business owners in front of the camera, celebrating the people whose everyday work helps give Como its character.
It raises an interesting question: could football clubs use their growing international audiences to give local communities something genuinely valuable?
A Como Shirt With a Different Kind of Story
The shirt itself is relatively understated by the standards Como have established.
A subtle tonal pattern runs through the fabric, creating texture that becomes more apparent on closer inspection.
The club’s familiar crest returns, giving the design a more traditional appearance than some of Como’s recent releases.
There is something appealing about that restraint.
Rather than relying on an extravagant colour combination or an immediately obvious graphic, the shirt allows its finer details to emerge gradually.
The result feels consistent with the understated aesthetic Como have been developing alongside adidas.
The People Behind the City
The launch campaign is arguably the most compelling element of the release.
Instead of making professional footballers the exclusive focus, Como have turned towards the entrepreneurs, independent businesses and individuals who contribute to the city’s daily life.
It is a particularly appropriate choice for a club whose wider identity is so closely associated with its surroundings.
Lake Como is recognised internationally for its scenery, tourism and luxury appeal. Yet the character of any city also depends on the people working behind the scenes.
Small businesses, local shops and independent enterprises all play a part in maintaining that identity.
By featuring them in a football shirt campaign, Como can introduce those people and their work to an audience far beyond northern Italy.
The shirt becomes the starting point for a story about the city itself.
Como’s Growing Influence Makes the Idea More Interesting
There is an important difference between a football club celebrating its community and being able to introduce that community to an international audience.
Como are increasingly capable of doing both.
Their return to Serie A in 2024, followed by the expansion of their adidas partnership and lifestyle collections, has helped establish the club as a name recognised well beyond its traditional supporter base.
The appointment of RHUDE founder Rhuigi Villaseñor as Chief Brand Officer has also helped shape an approach that connects football, fashion and the distinctive culture of Lake Como.
The club’s shirts have become part of that wider identity.
That makes a campaign focused on local business owners especially interesting. As Como’s profile grows, the club has an opportunity to bring more attention to the people and places associated with its home.
The value of that exposure will depend on how the campaign is developed, but the principle is an appealing one.
Does Every Football Kit Need an Extraordinary Design?
Football shirt culture naturally gravitates towards striking visuals.
Unusual patterns, collaborations and bold colour combinations often dominate the conversation, particularly on social media.
Como have embraced that side of the industry themselves.
Their previous collaborations with adidas and RHUDE demonstrated how football shirts can cross into luxury fashion and streetwear.
This latest release offers something different.
The design is quieter, while the campaign gives people another reason to pay attention.
It suggests that a football shirt does not necessarily need to be the most adventurous release of the season to tell a worthwhile story.
There is a similar emphasis on local identity in the Go Ahead Eagles third kit, which celebrates the River IJssel and its connection to Deventer:
The difference with Como is that the focus moves from a local landmark to the people contributing to the city today.
A Club That Remembers Where It Comes From
Como’s rise has brought considerable attention to the club, its ownership, its football and its increasingly sophisticated visual identity.
That success creates opportunities, but it also raises an important question about the relationship between a rapidly growing football institution and its local community.
This campaign offers one possible answer.
By celebrating local entrepreneurs through an international football shirt launch, Como are using their platform to tell stories that might otherwise receive far less attention.
The tonal pattern and traditional crest make for an attractive shirt, but the idea behind the campaign gives the release its character.
Perhaps that is the most interesting part of Como’s continued evolution.
As their reputation spreads around the world, they are finding new ways to bring their home city into the conversation.
Image credit: Como 1907 and adidas.
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