Why Football's Biggest Brands Trust This Former Chelsea Coach to Bring Their Identity to Life

In this episode of The Insider’s Lounge, we sit down with Chris Gunn, Co-Founder and Managing Director of LoveGunn, the creative agency behind some of football’s most memorable branding and marketing projects.

Chris shares his early journey coaching at Chelsea FC, his transition into the creative industry, and the founding story behind LoveGunn. He talks about the leap of faith it took to start his own agency, the ups and downs of working with a co-founder, and the realities of building a new company during the challenges of the COVID-19 era.

We explore LoveGunn’s work with Oxford United, including key moments that stood out during the rebrand process, and discuss how Chris’s time at Chelsea eventually came full circle with the club becoming one of LoveGunn’s clients. He also shares insights into understanding fans across different cultures and how that influences creative strategy in football.

The conversation continues with a behind-the-scenes look at LoveGunn’s collaboration with MG and Arsenal FC, including the challenges of marketing high-value products to football audiences and coordinating creative shoots with players like Bukayo Saka and Ben White. Chris closes with memorable stories from his career, including a surprise Sir Alex Ferguson photobomb and the surreal experience of playing at Stamford Bridge.

Chris Gunn on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christian-gunn-47995546/
LoveGunn's Website: https://www.lovegunn.co/

🎙️ More Insider's Lounge Content: https://linktr.ee/theinsiderslounge

Chapters:
00:00 Intro
05:13 Transition into Coaching
08:25 What is LoveGunn?
11:39 The Founding Story
14:44 Taking the Leap of Faith
16:17 Best and Hardest Parts of Having a Co-Founder
18:34 Surviving the Covid Era
24:53 Oxford United Rebrand
29:59 Bringing Fans into the Creative Process
35:42 Key Moments from the Oxford United Rebrand
38:21 From Coaching at Chelsea to Landing Them as a Client
44:17 Understanding Global Soccer Fans
49:03 MG x Arsenal FC: Project Breakdown
55:01 How to Sell High-Value Goods to Soccer Fans
1:00:11 Shooting Content with Pro Soccer Players
1:03:21 The Sir Alex Ferguson Photobomb Story
1:06:01 Playing at Stamford Bridge
1:07:51 Outro

Chapters

• 0:00 Intro
• 5:13 Transition into Coaching
• 8:25 What is LoveGunn?
• 11:39 The Founding Story
• 14:44 Taking the Leap of Faith
• 16:17 Best and Hardest Parts of Having a Co-Founder
• 18:34 Surviving the Covid Era
• 24:53 Oxford United Rebrand
• 29:59 Bringing Fans into the Creative Process
• 35:42 Key Moments from the Oxford United Rebrand
• 38:21 From Coaching at Chelsea to Landing Them as a Client
• 44:17 Understanding Global Soccer Fans
• 49:03 MG x Arsenal FC: Project Breakdown
• 55:01 How to Sell High-Value Goods to Soccer Fans
• 1:00:11 Shooting Content with Pro Soccer Players
• 1:03:21 The Sir Alex Ferguson Photobomb Story
• 1:06:01 Playing at Stamford Bridge
• 1:07:51 Outro