VMU Studio, Slawn, and Fanatics Bring ‘Football x Football’ to Leicester Square

Over the weekend, Leicester Square became an atmosphere for something unusual, a partnership we were unaware we needed, the crossover of street art and sports.

VMU Studio, in collaboration with Fanatics, the NFL, and artist Olaolu Slawn, unveiled Football x Football, a public installation featuring two 35-foot inflatables representing the shared energy between American football and the UK’s version of the game.

The project, led by Nigel VMU and Leke Lex Anthony of VMU Studio, brought Slawn’s unmistakable visual language to life on a massive scale. The UK giant features Slawn’s familiar clown-like motifs, remodeled through the lens of football culture with an NFL x Fanatics jersey. 

The US counterpart stands in full pads and headwear, embodying the power and pageantry of the NFL, two figures facing each other across the Atlantic, made of air but heavy with meaning.

“Working with Fanatics and the NFL on Football x Football gave us the chance to transform Leicester Square into a living story of two cultures meeting,” says Nigel VMU. “It’s about more than sport, it’s about creating public art that remodels how fans see themselves in both games.”

At just 24, Slawn has already left his mark on global culture, from designing the BRIT Award in 2023 to working with SZA, Beyoncé, and A$AP Rocky. His partnership with VMU extends a run of projects that have combined a mix of design, humor, and cultural commentary into something recognizably his. 

Together, they’ve worked on campaigns for Nike, the FA Cup, and now, one of the NFL’s biggest international projects to date.

“Football x Football is a celebration of culture, creativity, and fandom,” says Ciarán Jordan, Vice President of Marketing at Fanatics. “Working with visionary talents like Slawn and VMU Studio captures how sport and art can connect people everywhere.”

The installation stands as part of the NFL’s global expansion, marking another moment where creativity meets sport on public ground, and showing that cultural connection doesn’t need translation.