Work Location: London
After years of navigating the industry in silence, Rexha proved that betting on herself was the ultimate power move.
Her independent debut, “New Religion” featuring Faithless, served as a sharp opening statement for her upcoming album, Dirty Blonde.
Without a major label’s PR machine, Bebe Rexha and UNCLE ignited London’s streets, plastering the city with raw 4-Sheet and B2 flyposters. The message was loud, local, and impossible to ignore.
Her independent debut, “New Religion” featuring Faithless, served as a sharp opening statement for her upcoming album, Dirty Blonde.
Without a major label’s PR machine, Bebe Rexha and UNCLE ignited London’s streets, plastering the city with raw 4-Sheet and B2 flyposters. The message was loud, local, and impossible to ignore.
It all began in South Kensington back in 2018, now the iconic T-Bar necklace has truly reclaimed its crown. To celebrate the bestseller that started it all, Tilly Sveaas teamed up with UNCLE to bring it back to the streets it came from.
Bold B2 posters papered the walls, from Chelsea to the Kings Road. It was raw, it was refined, and it was gloriously “wild”. Turns out, even the chicest corners of SW3 couldn’t resist a touch of street-side sparkle.
Bold B2 posters papered the walls, from Chelsea to the Kings Road. It was raw, it was refined, and it was gloriously “wild”. Turns out, even the chicest corners of SW3 couldn’t resist a touch of street-side sparkle.
“I didn’t sign up to be a content creator. I’m a poet.”
Those are the words of Maureen Onwunali, the Dublin-born Nigerian poet whose work is resonating with in-person audiences at a growing number of poetry events, while also travelling online, as culture increasingly has for much of her 23 years. “June Jordan, Audre Lorde or James Baldwin never had to post three reels a month to be picked up by the algorithm,” she says, listing both her influences and stating her disillusionment with today’s media landscape at the same time.
On the other side of that coin, though, is her gratitude that her words have reached places she has not. Her poems have found people in small towns across Australia, the Americas and beyond, carrying observations on masculinity, migration, care, nightlife and the people society forgets to notice. In Puffer Jacket Poetry, she writes of Black masculinity and the men who are rarely given permission to be soft. Put simply: ‘the mandem don’t cry enough.’ In another poem, she asks God to save, not the King, but “the people we forget to notice.” Those sending money back home. Line cooks working from a mother’s muscle memory. Voluntary litter pickers saving the world, one crushed Red Bull can at a time.’
A long-time resident of Milton Keynes, Onwunali is also interested in place as something you can shape, rather than just somewhere you happen to live. Born to Nigerian parents in Ireland, she says her family “built Nigeria in our living room,” carrying culture and tradition across borders. Ireland and Nigeria, to her, are connected by their histories of colonisation, by the same “Babylon” showing its face in different parts of the world. Milton Keynes, meanwhile, is younger and greener and still becoming itself. While Camden regularly calls with her residency at the iconic Roundhouse, MK is a place that she’s excited to have a tangible impact on.
Her own route into poetry was mostly self-taught, shaped less by the poems she was handed at school than by rap, cyphers and performance. Instead, she would sit in front of the TV while eating, watching poetry slams and studying how people used language. Poetry, as she understands it, is less a fixed document than “a living, breathing thing.”
That makes her UNCLE collaboration, created ahead of the local elections, feel especially fitting. Inspired by Zoe Leonard’s I Want a President, Onwunali’s poem asks what kind of candidate people actually want, and what might happen if we raised our standards. It is poetry off the phone screen, off the stage and into the street.
Those are the words of Maureen Onwunali, the Dublin-born Nigerian poet whose work is resonating with in-person audiences at a growing number of poetry events, while also travelling online, as culture increasingly has for much of her 23 years. “June Jordan, Audre Lorde or James Baldwin never had to post three reels a month to be picked up by the algorithm,” she says, listing both her influences and stating her disillusionment with today’s media landscape at the same time.
On the other side of that coin, though, is her gratitude that her words have reached places she has not. Her poems have found people in small towns across Australia, the Americas and beyond, carrying observations on masculinity, migration, care, nightlife and the people society forgets to notice. In Puffer Jacket Poetry, she writes of Black masculinity and the men who are rarely given permission to be soft. Put simply: ‘the mandem don’t cry enough.’ In another poem, she asks God to save, not the King, but “the people we forget to notice.” Those sending money back home. Line cooks working from a mother’s muscle memory. Voluntary litter pickers saving the world, one crushed Red Bull can at a time.’
A long-time resident of Milton Keynes, Onwunali is also interested in place as something you can shape, rather than just somewhere you happen to live. Born to Nigerian parents in Ireland, she says her family “built Nigeria in our living room,” carrying culture and tradition across borders. Ireland and Nigeria, to her, are connected by their histories of colonisation, by the same “Babylon” showing its face in different parts of the world. Milton Keynes, meanwhile, is younger and greener and still becoming itself. While Camden regularly calls with her residency at the iconic Roundhouse, MK is a place that she’s excited to have a tangible impact on.
Her own route into poetry was mostly self-taught, shaped less by the poems she was handed at school than by rap, cyphers and performance. Instead, she would sit in front of the TV while eating, watching poetry slams and studying how people used language. Poetry, as she understands it, is less a fixed document than “a living, breathing thing.”
That makes her UNCLE collaboration, created ahead of the local elections, feel especially fitting. Inspired by Zoe Leonard’s I Want a President, Onwunali’s poem asks what kind of candidate people actually want, and what might happen if we raised our standards. It is poetry off the phone screen, off the stage and into the street.
WHAT FIRST DREW YOU INTO POETRY, AND AT WHAT POINT DID IT SHIFT FROM SOMETHING PERSONAL INTO SOMETHING YOU WANTED TO SHARE PUBLICLY?
I was never really fixed on poetry to start off with. It was more storytelling. I grew up with MTV playing in the background, and I was obsessed with rap, with cyphers, with wordplay — how people could build whole worlds with such limited space through language.
At one point I wanted to be a rapper, but I could never catch the beat — I just had too much to say. So I went back to just the words, and from there my relationship with writing really grew.
I started writing when I was about eleven. At the time it felt quite uncool, so it stayed personal — more like documentation. But as I got older, I realised I was writing about political realities around me, growing up in an immigrant household, and I started to feel like it was too important to keep to myself. If I really believed in what I was saying, it couldn’t just live and die with me.
The turning point was a workshop with the poet Joelle Taylor. I brought a folder with everything I’d ever written, read some of it out, and she invited me to perform in London. It was just me, my mum, and half my English department on a train, and I remember getting on stage and thinking, this is it.
From there it kind of snowballed — I did a poetry slam at the Roundhouse after sixth form, ended up winning it, and then eventually came back on a residency. I’ve been freelancing for the last couple of years now, which still feels a bit mad.
A LOT OF YOUR WORK PULLS MEANING OUT OF REALLY EVERYDAY MOMENTS — SMALL GESTURES, GIVING UP YOUR SEAT ON THE TUBE — WHAT DRAWS YOU TO THOSE KINDS OF DETAILS?
I think it comes from that idea that everything is poetry. You just have to take a moment to see it. It’s the art of noticing.
I always describe it as grabbing a moment and holding it up to the light. Even something like giving up your seat — most people have done it and don’t think anything of it, but when you actually look at it, it becomes this really beautiful, compassionate act.
I think I’m trying to remind people how similar we are. We spend so much time thinking what we’re going through is completely unique, but really we’re all living very similar lives. Everyone wants to feel part of something bigger, and sometimes you just need reminding that you already are.
I was never really fixed on poetry to start off with. It was more storytelling. I grew up with MTV playing in the background, and I was obsessed with rap, with cyphers, with wordplay — how people could build whole worlds with such limited space through language.
At one point I wanted to be a rapper, but I could never catch the beat — I just had too much to say. So I went back to just the words, and from there my relationship with writing really grew.
I started writing when I was about eleven. At the time it felt quite uncool, so it stayed personal — more like documentation. But as I got older, I realised I was writing about political realities around me, growing up in an immigrant household, and I started to feel like it was too important to keep to myself. If I really believed in what I was saying, it couldn’t just live and die with me.
The turning point was a workshop with the poet Joelle Taylor. I brought a folder with everything I’d ever written, read some of it out, and she invited me to perform in London. It was just me, my mum, and half my English department on a train, and I remember getting on stage and thinking, this is it.
From there it kind of snowballed — I did a poetry slam at the Roundhouse after sixth form, ended up winning it, and then eventually came back on a residency. I’ve been freelancing for the last couple of years now, which still feels a bit mad.
A LOT OF YOUR WORK PULLS MEANING OUT OF REALLY EVERYDAY MOMENTS — SMALL GESTURES, GIVING UP YOUR SEAT ON THE TUBE — WHAT DRAWS YOU TO THOSE KINDS OF DETAILS?
I think it comes from that idea that everything is poetry. You just have to take a moment to see it. It’s the art of noticing.
I always describe it as grabbing a moment and holding it up to the light. Even something like giving up your seat — most people have done it and don’t think anything of it, but when you actually look at it, it becomes this really beautiful, compassionate act.
I think I’m trying to remind people how similar we are. We spend so much time thinking what we’re going through is completely unique, but really we’re all living very similar lives. Everyone wants to feel part of something bigger, and sometimes you just need reminding that you already are.
DO YOU SEE YOUR WORK AS DOCUMENTING BEHAVIOUR, OR QUIETLY CHALLENGING IT?
I’d say it’s a bit of both, but probably more the latter.
A lot of the time, I’m writing from a place of urgency — like, everyone stop what you’re doing and listen. Let’s acknowledge what’s actually happening.
I’m not really interested in sitting with something for ages and perfecting it in a traditional sense. Sometimes it just feels like the sky is on fire, and I want people to hear what I have to say right now.
Of course, people might look back on it later as a reflection of the time, but for me it’s about the present — bearing witness to what’s happening and making people aware of it.
YOU’VE ASKED A REALLY INTERESTING QUESTION IN ANOTHER INTERVIEW — “WHY DO WE NEED OTHER PEOPLE TO TELL US WHAT WE’RE FEELING?” — DO YOU THINK POETRY SHOULD BE SOMETHING EVERYONE DOES, RATHER THAN SOMETHING A FEW PEOPLE PURSUE PROFESSIONALLY?
I still hold that belief. I think we often see it as the doers and the feelers, as if there’s a special group of people responsible for capturing all of the world’s feelings and turning them into something we can consume, whether that’s music, poetry, painting, or whatever else.
But I don’t think that should be the case. Poetry is for everyone, and it’s one of the few times in life where you don’t have to ask for permission to say things or think things. You don’t have to wait for anyone to tell you that you’re allowed to feel something, or allowed to question something.
You can just grab the closest pen and write. Even if you don’t write it down, you’re still speaking to yourself. You’re bearing witness to something and saying, this deserves to be archived, remembered or reflected on.
People say nothing in life is free, but the thought, the noticing, that is free. Even though I call myself a poet, I don’t think that separates me from “non-poets”. I don’t really think there are non-poets. It’s not a title or a role as much as it’s an act. I wouldn’t want someone to think, “Well, she’s the poet, so I’ll just listen.” We’re all constantly doing the act.
So yes, I think we need to stop relying on other people for our feelings and take control of that ourselves.
I’d say it’s a bit of both, but probably more the latter.
A lot of the time, I’m writing from a place of urgency — like, everyone stop what you’re doing and listen. Let’s acknowledge what’s actually happening.
I’m not really interested in sitting with something for ages and perfecting it in a traditional sense. Sometimes it just feels like the sky is on fire, and I want people to hear what I have to say right now.
Of course, people might look back on it later as a reflection of the time, but for me it’s about the present — bearing witness to what’s happening and making people aware of it.
YOU’VE ASKED A REALLY INTERESTING QUESTION IN ANOTHER INTERVIEW — “WHY DO WE NEED OTHER PEOPLE TO TELL US WHAT WE’RE FEELING?” — DO YOU THINK POETRY SHOULD BE SOMETHING EVERYONE DOES, RATHER THAN SOMETHING A FEW PEOPLE PURSUE PROFESSIONALLY?
I still hold that belief. I think we often see it as the doers and the feelers, as if there’s a special group of people responsible for capturing all of the world’s feelings and turning them into something we can consume, whether that’s music, poetry, painting, or whatever else.
But I don’t think that should be the case. Poetry is for everyone, and it’s one of the few times in life where you don’t have to ask for permission to say things or think things. You don’t have to wait for anyone to tell you that you’re allowed to feel something, or allowed to question something.
You can just grab the closest pen and write. Even if you don’t write it down, you’re still speaking to yourself. You’re bearing witness to something and saying, this deserves to be archived, remembered or reflected on.
People say nothing in life is free, but the thought, the noticing, that is free. Even though I call myself a poet, I don’t think that separates me from “non-poets”. I don’t really think there are non-poets. It’s not a title or a role as much as it’s an act. I wouldn’t want someone to think, “Well, she’s the poet, so I’ll just listen.” We’re all constantly doing the act.
So yes, I think we need to stop relying on other people for our feelings and take control of that ourselves.
POETRY CAN SOMETIMES FEEL QUITE CLOSED OFF OR ACADEMIC TO PEOPLE, BUT YOUR WORK FEELS VERY ACCESSIBLE — IS THAT SOMETHING YOU’RE CONSCIOUS OF WHEN YOU’RE WRITING?
Yeah, definitely. I have a line in one of my poems that’s something like, “Who’s to say the revolution will be spoken in your jargon tongue anyway?”
For me, the function of poetry is to reach as many people as possible. Why would I want to put limitations on that just to show off my vocabulary, or prove I can use certain language techniques? It’s not a way of showing how educated I think I am. My priority is trying to connect to as many people as possible.
I think that happens through those everyday moments we look past. Those are the moments where people can say, “Actually, I do see myself in that.”
Our first introduction to poetry is often through school, and the GCSE anthology has given poetry a terrible reputation. People hold a grudge against it for years. They still shudder when they hear the word poetry.
I think we need to undo that. I’m trying to save poetry’s reputation a bit. In school, poetry can feel like this fixed document, like it’s written in stone and you can’t really do much to it. But really, it’s more like a Google document. It’s a live thing being edited as we speak. It’s breathable, it’s moving constantly, it has its own heartbeat. It’s alive, and it’s not written in stone. It’s supposed to be fluid.
Yeah, definitely. I have a line in one of my poems that’s something like, “Who’s to say the revolution will be spoken in your jargon tongue anyway?”
For me, the function of poetry is to reach as many people as possible. Why would I want to put limitations on that just to show off my vocabulary, or prove I can use certain language techniques? It’s not a way of showing how educated I think I am. My priority is trying to connect to as many people as possible.
I think that happens through those everyday moments we look past. Those are the moments where people can say, “Actually, I do see myself in that.”
Our first introduction to poetry is often through school, and the GCSE anthology has given poetry a terrible reputation. People hold a grudge against it for years. They still shudder when they hear the word poetry.
I think we need to undo that. I’m trying to save poetry’s reputation a bit. In school, poetry can feel like this fixed document, like it’s written in stone and you can’t really do much to it. But really, it’s more like a Google document. It’s a live thing being edited as we speak. It’s breathable, it’s moving constantly, it has its own heartbeat. It’s alive, and it’s not written in stone. It’s supposed to be fluid.
YOU MENTIONED WORKING IN SCHOOLS — HOW IMPORTANT IS IT THAT YOUNG PEOPLE ARE GIVEN ACCESS TO POETRY BEYOND THE TRADITIONAL CANON, ESPECIALLY POETRY THAT SPEAKS FROM DECOLONIAL PERSPECTIVES?
It’s so important. I actually have a poem I performed at a GCSE conference, and I started it with: “William Wordsworth ain’t worth my words if the kids don’t know what their words are worth.”
Then it goes on from there, and the students go crazy because they understand what it’s saying. It’s in slang, but it’s still poetry.
I do think everything is a political act: what we see, what we don’t see, the voices that are platformed and the voices that are silenced. The poetry we’re shown is so often overrepresented by old white men talking about duchesses and colonial expansion. The writing might be beautiful, but if the kids can’t see themselves in it, they’re not going to connect. There are no stakes in it for them.
Poetry has been around since people learned how to communicate with each other. In collective cultures, in the global south, oral storytelling and oral history is poetry. It has always been there and always will be there.
When people talk about Wordsworth, I always think the real poets, in every generation, are the people in town centres on soapboxes being called crazy, saying, “Listen to what I have to say. This is what’s going on with the world.”
I’d call myself a soapbox poet. I want to be the town’s crazy person yelling into the sky, beating my chest at the world, saying: this is what’s happening.
The curriculum has introduced some reforms and more modern poetry, so there is work being done, but I still think there’s a lot more to do.
It’s so important. I actually have a poem I performed at a GCSE conference, and I started it with: “William Wordsworth ain’t worth my words if the kids don’t know what their words are worth.”
Then it goes on from there, and the students go crazy because they understand what it’s saying. It’s in slang, but it’s still poetry.
I do think everything is a political act: what we see, what we don’t see, the voices that are platformed and the voices that are silenced. The poetry we’re shown is so often overrepresented by old white men talking about duchesses and colonial expansion. The writing might be beautiful, but if the kids can’t see themselves in it, they’re not going to connect. There are no stakes in it for them.
Poetry has been around since people learned how to communicate with each other. In collective cultures, in the global south, oral storytelling and oral history is poetry. It has always been there and always will be there.
When people talk about Wordsworth, I always think the real poets, in every generation, are the people in town centres on soapboxes being called crazy, saying, “Listen to what I have to say. This is what’s going on with the world.”
I’d call myself a soapbox poet. I want to be the town’s crazy person yelling into the sky, beating my chest at the world, saying: this is what’s happening.
The curriculum has introduced some reforms and more modern poetry, so there is work being done, but I still think there’s a lot more to do.
CAN YOU TELL ME A BIT ABOUT THE PIECE YOU’VE CREATED FOR UNCLE AND WHAT YOU WANTED IT TO SAY?
The poem is after Zoe Leonard’s I Want a President. It’s built around that idea of, “I want a candidate who…” and then it goes from there.
I live in Milton Keynes, in quite a diverse neighbourhood, and I had a Reform candidate knock on my door. I just thought, this is hilarious. Absolutely hilarious.
It made me think that we need to raise our standards. With anything else, whether it’s doctors, electricians or engineers, we want the best because we know quality matters. But when it comes to politicians, we settle for so much. We concede so much. We need to want better for ourselves and our communities.
So the poem essentially lists the type of candidate I want to see. There are lines like, “I want a gold tooth smile for a candidate,” or “I want a grieving mother for a candidate,” or “I want a candidate who knows how costly their words are,” and “a candidate who has felt the cold of concrete.”
I want someone I can relate to. Whether or not that’s realistic doesn’t really matter. I’m not concerned with realism. I’m concerned with getting people to question the type of candidate they want to see, and whether that is actually reflected in what’s on the ballot.
I’m keen to see how people react to it, and hopefully it starts a conversation about what we ask for as electorates.
WITH THE LOCAL ELECTIONS IN MIND, DO YOU THINK THERE’S SOMETHING POWERFUL ABOUT FOCUSING ON WHAT’S HAPPENING AROUND YOU — IN YOUR IMMEDIATE ENVIRONMENT — RATHER THAN ALWAYS THINKING NATIONALLY OR GLOBALLY?
One hundred percent. I don’t necessarily believe the current electoral system is going to bring about some kind of utopia, but local elections are about tangible, everyday, material changes that really affect people.
I think it’s important to have a say in the things you can actually reach your hand out and touch and feel. Some people might argue that it’s even more important than a wider national election, because you will very much feel the impact of how you vote. It’s closer to home.
The poem is after Zoe Leonard’s I Want a President. It’s built around that idea of, “I want a candidate who…” and then it goes from there.
I live in Milton Keynes, in quite a diverse neighbourhood, and I had a Reform candidate knock on my door. I just thought, this is hilarious. Absolutely hilarious.
It made me think that we need to raise our standards. With anything else, whether it’s doctors, electricians or engineers, we want the best because we know quality matters. But when it comes to politicians, we settle for so much. We concede so much. We need to want better for ourselves and our communities.
So the poem essentially lists the type of candidate I want to see. There are lines like, “I want a gold tooth smile for a candidate,” or “I want a grieving mother for a candidate,” or “I want a candidate who knows how costly their words are,” and “a candidate who has felt the cold of concrete.”
I want someone I can relate to. Whether or not that’s realistic doesn’t really matter. I’m not concerned with realism. I’m concerned with getting people to question the type of candidate they want to see, and whether that is actually reflected in what’s on the ballot.
I’m keen to see how people react to it, and hopefully it starts a conversation about what we ask for as electorates.
WITH THE LOCAL ELECTIONS IN MIND, DO YOU THINK THERE’S SOMETHING POWERFUL ABOUT FOCUSING ON WHAT’S HAPPENING AROUND YOU — IN YOUR IMMEDIATE ENVIRONMENT — RATHER THAN ALWAYS THINKING NATIONALLY OR GLOBALLY?
One hundred percent. I don’t necessarily believe the current electoral system is going to bring about some kind of utopia, but local elections are about tangible, everyday, material changes that really affect people.
I think it’s important to have a say in the things you can actually reach your hand out and touch and feel. Some people might argue that it’s even more important than a wider national election, because you will very much feel the impact of how you vote. It’s closer to home.
YOU’RE NIGERIAN, BORN IN IRELAND, AND HAVE LIVED IN MILTON KEYNES. HOW DOES EACH PLACE INFLUENCE OR INSPIRE YOUR WORK?
Being born to Nigerian parents has influenced not only my work, but my sense of self. I think the first and probably last time I was in Nigeria, I was less than one year old, so I don’t have any real memories of it. But my parents did their best to pack as much culture and tradition as they could into this 25kg luggage and bring it to Ireland with them.
They built Nigeria in our living room, so I’ve always had a close connection to the culture and my roots. I don’t feel like a stranger in that part of my identity.
Then being born and raised in Dublin was my formative years. It’s my friends, my family, and even my accent. I’ve been in the UK for eleven years now and you can still hear bits of it.
Politically, I think my Irish and Nigerian identities work hand in hand. Ireland has often tried to stand up against injustice because of its own history, and Nigeria has also experienced British Empire. That same Babylon reared its ugly face in both parts of the world, so those identities feel very similar to me in that sense.
With Milton Keynes, people always ask, why Milton Keynes? And honestly, my mum chose here. But I really like it. It’s so fresh and new. It’s only about sixty years old, and you can tell it was so intentional. Even when you look at the map, with the grids, it feels a bit like Barbie’s dollhouse sometimes, because everything is so planned.
But I think it’s beautiful. It’s very green, it’s malleable, and now it’s a city. I feel oddly patriotic about it. Londoners think anything outside London is just farmland, but I’ll defend Milton Keynes to the end.
I see myself in it, honestly. It’s still growing and I’m still growing. I’ve worked a lot with the council there, and I’m trying to do my part in moulding Milton Keynes into the city I want to see. That’s such a cool thing, because who can say they’re actually helping to mould their city?
Being born to Nigerian parents has influenced not only my work, but my sense of self. I think the first and probably last time I was in Nigeria, I was less than one year old, so I don’t have any real memories of it. But my parents did their best to pack as much culture and tradition as they could into this 25kg luggage and bring it to Ireland with them.
They built Nigeria in our living room, so I’ve always had a close connection to the culture and my roots. I don’t feel like a stranger in that part of my identity.
Then being born and raised in Dublin was my formative years. It’s my friends, my family, and even my accent. I’ve been in the UK for eleven years now and you can still hear bits of it.
Politically, I think my Irish and Nigerian identities work hand in hand. Ireland has often tried to stand up against injustice because of its own history, and Nigeria has also experienced British Empire. That same Babylon reared its ugly face in both parts of the world, so those identities feel very similar to me in that sense.
With Milton Keynes, people always ask, why Milton Keynes? And honestly, my mum chose here. But I really like it. It’s so fresh and new. It’s only about sixty years old, and you can tell it was so intentional. Even when you look at the map, with the grids, it feels a bit like Barbie’s dollhouse sometimes, because everything is so planned.
But I think it’s beautiful. It’s very green, it’s malleable, and now it’s a city. I feel oddly patriotic about it. Londoners think anything outside London is just farmland, but I’ll defend Milton Keynes to the end.
I see myself in it, honestly. It’s still growing and I’m still growing. I’ve worked a lot with the council there, and I’m trying to do my part in moulding Milton Keynes into the city I want to see. That’s such a cool thing, because who can say they’re actually helping to mould their city?
LOOKING AHEAD, WHAT DO YOU WANT MORE OF — EITHER IN YOUR OWN WORK, OR IN THE WIDER POETRY SPACE?
I think it’s already on its way, in terms of poetry becoming more mainstream. I recently performed at the Roundhouse, and we claimed it was the largest poetry event in the world. It was 1,500 people in the audience, so maybe it was — I need to check that.
I love that poetry is on big stages, but I don’t want it to become a one-sided conversation. Poetry should be an equal exchange. I don’t want to be put on a pedestal, or on a platform, and just talk down to people.
I’d love more people to engage with it, not just as audience members, but as mutual givers and receivers. I want people to really give it a try, and share more. I want poetry to feel as normal as singing in the shower — something everyday. Like, of course I’ll write a poem on my way to work.
For my own work, I think I’m already doing a lot of what I wanted to do, so everything else is kind of a bonus. Being freelance means I don’t really answer to anyone, and there aren’t the same limitations on what I can say. I get to use my politics degree in the purest form, rather than going down the traditional route into the civil service or something like that.
I think I’ll probably get more political, and I’d like poetry to become more mainstream in that way too. I want it to feel normal to have these conversations over dinner, or in the classroom.
WHAT DO YOU HOPE PEOPLE TAKE AWAY FROM THIS WORK — WHETHER THAT’S THE POEM ITSELF OR THE WIDER COLLABORATION?
I’d just emphasise dreaming bigger. Don’t be confined to the terrible standards we’ve given ourselves.
You can actually aspire for a better candidate, a better world, and better communities.
And obviously, go out and vote.
I think it’s already on its way, in terms of poetry becoming more mainstream. I recently performed at the Roundhouse, and we claimed it was the largest poetry event in the world. It was 1,500 people in the audience, so maybe it was — I need to check that.
I love that poetry is on big stages, but I don’t want it to become a one-sided conversation. Poetry should be an equal exchange. I don’t want to be put on a pedestal, or on a platform, and just talk down to people.
I’d love more people to engage with it, not just as audience members, but as mutual givers and receivers. I want people to really give it a try, and share more. I want poetry to feel as normal as singing in the shower — something everyday. Like, of course I’ll write a poem on my way to work.
For my own work, I think I’m already doing a lot of what I wanted to do, so everything else is kind of a bonus. Being freelance means I don’t really answer to anyone, and there aren’t the same limitations on what I can say. I get to use my politics degree in the purest form, rather than going down the traditional route into the civil service or something like that.
I think I’ll probably get more political, and I’d like poetry to become more mainstream in that way too. I want it to feel normal to have these conversations over dinner, or in the classroom.
WHAT DO YOU HOPE PEOPLE TAKE AWAY FROM THIS WORK — WHETHER THAT’S THE POEM ITSELF OR THE WIDER COLLABORATION?
I’d just emphasise dreaming bigger. Don’t be confined to the terrible standards we’ve given ourselves.
You can actually aspire for a better candidate, a better world, and better communities.
And obviously, go out and vote.
When the world tilted, Bristol’s iconic duo refused to watch from the sidelines; they mobilised. Massive Attack released “Boots on the Ground” a sharp single featuring the unmistakable, gravelly tones of Tom Waits. The track served as a direct critique of Western militarism and a growing sense of global disillusionment.
To drive the point home, UNCLE took to the streets of Bristol, Manchester and London, through a bold 4-sheet poster campaign. Massive Attack saw the political climate and pasted their protest across the nation’s walls.
To drive the point home, UNCLE took to the streets of Bristol, Manchester and London, through a bold 4-sheet poster campaign. Massive Attack saw the political climate and pasted their protest across the nation’s walls.
From the grass of Wimbledon to the pulse of Berlin, Fred Perry has evolved into the definitive bridge between two worlds. This campaign marks the total fusion of sportswear and streetwear, tailored for those who trade the court for the city streets with effortless precision.
UNCLE has now stamped this transition across the capital, using city banners and A1 posters to claim the space. The TENNIS BOMBER and the TRACK JACKET lead the way, proving that the shift from sportswear to streetwear isn’t a trend – it’s a takeover. It is sharp, British, and perfectly at home in the Berlin streets.
UNCLE has now stamped this transition across the capital, using city banners and A1 posters to claim the space. The TENNIS BOMBER and the TRACK JACKET lead the way, proving that the shift from sportswear to streetwear isn’t a trend – it’s a takeover. It is sharp, British, and perfectly at home in the Berlin streets.
Morphe, the beauty brand created for creators, redefined the horizon. They captured a Los Angeles sunset to mark the debut of Cheek Thrills Bronze & Tone Duos, dragging that warmth across the Atlantic.
UNCLE mirrored this glow through the streets of London and Manchester. Strategic 4-sheet campaigns turned grey streets into a sun-soaked world, bringing West Coast heat into the British cities.
UNCLE mirrored this glow through the streets of London and Manchester. Strategic 4-sheet campaigns turned grey streets into a sun-soaked world, bringing West Coast heat into the British cities.
Antler didn’t just open a door on Regent Street. Before the flagship store’s ribbon was cut, a new monogram claimed the city.
UNCLE executed a flyposting campaign across London, saturating the streets with 4-sheets, megasites and B1 blocks.
The interlocking geometry signalled a pivot from traditional luggage maker to curator. By the time the doors opened, the silhouette felt like part of the architecture.
Antler didn’t ask for space; through the streets, they simply took it.
UNCLE executed a flyposting campaign across London, saturating the streets with 4-sheets, megasites and B1 blocks.
The interlocking geometry signalled a pivot from traditional luggage maker to curator. By the time the doors opened, the silhouette felt like part of the architecture.
Antler didn’t ask for space; through the streets, they simply took it.
Give your lounge the runway it deserves.
Since 2012, Sofa Club has redefined furniture. Sharp silhouettes, fashion-first, and accessible high-end style. Beyond furnishing spaces; they dresse them.
For their latest London takeover with UNCLE, city walls were too small. From Soho to Shoreditch, megasites, 4-sheets and raw flyposting literally “opened up”; spilling fully-styled lounges onto the concrete.
By shattering the fourth wall via B2s and paste ups, they created a hyper-real moment that forced Londoners to stop, stare and realise that the street offered a luxury their commute never could.
Since 2012, Sofa Club has redefined furniture. Sharp silhouettes, fashion-first, and accessible high-end style. Beyond furnishing spaces; they dresse them.
For their latest London takeover with UNCLE, city walls were too small. From Soho to Shoreditch, megasites, 4-sheets and raw flyposting literally “opened up”; spilling fully-styled lounges onto the concrete.
By shattering the fourth wall via B2s and paste ups, they created a hyper-real moment that forced Londoners to stop, stare and realise that the street offered a luxury their commute never could.
The radio silence from Boards of Canada just took a high-voltage hit. This wasn’t about digital leaks; it was a coordinated, physical takeover. Across London and Manchester, the walls began bleeding codes that only the initiated could decode.
With Warp Records fuelling the hype and UNCLE executing, the streets became a haunting playground. The campaign deployed 3,000 B2 posters, surgical 4-sheet strikes, and massive paste-up blocks. Reddit melted down as the evidence mounted: the Sandison brothers didn’t just return—they reclaimed the frequency. The cult is officially back.
With Warp Records fuelling the hype and UNCLE executing, the streets became a haunting playground. The campaign deployed 3,000 B2 posters, surgical 4-sheet strikes, and massive paste-up blocks. Reddit melted down as the evidence mounted: the Sandison brothers didn’t just return—they reclaimed the frequency. The cult is officially back.
Forget the grey; Farmer J just dropped a neon-soaked dose of vitamins onto the streets. To celebrate their new lineup of speciality iced drinks, they took the field to the city. From the creamy hit of Mango + Coconut Matcha to the sharp kick of Matcha + Yuzu Fizz, the new menu is a total liquid takeover.
UNCLE saturated East London with a high-energy campaign, deploying 4-sheets and 4-sheet blocks. It was a surge of pure colour injected directly into the street.
East London never tasted so fresh.
UNCLE saturated East London with a high-energy campaign, deploying 4-sheets and 4-sheet blocks. It was a surge of pure colour injected directly into the street.
East London never tasted so fresh.
London didn’t just run; it took over. Yeet and Hoka collided in the heart of Shoreditch to prep the city for the marathon grind.
This wasn’t about a casual warm-up, it was about high-octane performance meeting East London’s relentless edge. 4 Chance St became the ultimate hub for those ready to outrun the noise.
To signal the takeover, UNCLE hit the streets with high-impact 4-sheet and 4-sheet blocks, ensuring the “Get Race Ready” call was impossible to miss.
No fluff, no excuses – just pure momentum for the chase.
This wasn’t about a casual warm-up, it was about high-octane performance meeting East London’s relentless edge. 4 Chance St became the ultimate hub for those ready to outrun the noise.
To signal the takeover, UNCLE hit the streets with high-impact 4-sheet and 4-sheet blocks, ensuring the “Get Race Ready” call was impossible to miss.
No fluff, no excuses – just pure momentum for the chase.
Forget the playground rules. Tink returned, turning “F**k, Marry, Kill” nostalgia into a reality check.
Her latest drop wasn’t just music; it was a masterclass in modern R&B storytelling. Tink dissected how we recklessly sort our lovers like school games – messy, blurred boundaries, and usually fuelled by a stiff drink. It was sharp, provocative, and unapologetically raw.
To match that energy, UNCLE took over the London streets, plastering the city with high-impact B2 blocks. Tink didn’t just play the game; she broke it.
Her latest drop wasn’t just music; it was a masterclass in modern R&B storytelling. Tink dissected how we recklessly sort our lovers like school games – messy, blurred boundaries, and usually fuelled by a stiff drink. It was sharp, provocative, and unapologetically raw.
To match that energy, UNCLE took over the London streets, plastering the city with high-impact B2 blocks. Tink didn’t just play the game; she broke it.
To celebrate the 20th anniversary of Hannah Montana, Miley Cyrus delivered a fearless love letter to her roots. With “Younger You”, she isn’t just remembering; she’s reclaiming. It’s a visceral stripping of the pop veneer, traded for disarming authenticity.
Across London, UNCLE turned the streets into a raw scrapbook. No glossy campaigns here, just B2 posters acting as gritty, street-level echoes for the fans who grew up with her. This isn’t just a track; it’s a defiant reconciliation.
Across London, UNCLE turned the streets into a raw scrapbook. No glossy campaigns here, just B2 posters acting as gritty, street-level echoes for the fans who grew up with her. This isn’t just a track; it’s a defiant reconciliation.
Stubble & Co dropped the new Motion Backpack 20L: the new model delivering comfort, breathability, and versatility for every journey. It was engineered to move with you, built to kill the bounce while you owned the streets.
The Motion 20L was hammered onto the grit of Soho via raw paste-ups and anchored to the B2 blocks of Battersea. From Borough to the 4-sheets of the West End, the bag was plastered across every street corner, claiming the urban sprawl as its own territory.
The Motion 20L was hammered onto the grit of Soho via raw paste-ups and anchored to the B2 blocks of Battersea. From Borough to the 4-sheets of the West End, the bag was plastered across every street corner, claiming the urban sprawl as its own territory.
London was infested, and for once, no one complained. Neon pink posters bled into the city’s cracks, screaming one name: The Cockroaches.
UNCLE flooded the streets with B1 formats, sparking a viral fever dream. While the Stones often say “you can’t always get what you want,” eagle-eyed fans knew the game. A QR code warped commuters into a gritty 70s bedroom where a clock ticked toward April 11, 2026. With Ronnie Wood already hinting at a new release, the mystery turned into a global roar.
The Stones reclaimed their territory, and London was officially hooked.
UNCLE flooded the streets with B1 formats, sparking a viral fever dream. While the Stones often say “you can’t always get what you want,” eagle-eyed fans knew the game. A QR code warped commuters into a gritty 70s bedroom where a clock ticked toward April 11, 2026. With Ronnie Wood already hinting at a new release, the mystery turned into a global roar.
The Stones reclaimed their territory, and London was officially hooked.
REFY, the experts in simplifying beauty, marked a major milestone with their first physical launch at the iconic Space NK. To announce their arrival across the UK and Ireland, UNCLE staged a total takeover.
UNCLE transformed the streets of London, flooding the capital with a striking minimalist aesthetic that landed like a shock to the system. Raw B2 blocks and 4-sheet takeovers dominated the urban landscape, scaling REFY’s “less is more” manifesto across the entire city.
The first move was made. London belonged to REFY.
UNCLE transformed the streets of London, flooding the capital with a striking minimalist aesthetic that landed like a shock to the system. Raw B2 blocks and 4-sheet takeovers dominated the urban landscape, scaling REFY’s “less is more” manifesto across the entire city.
The first move was made. London belonged to REFY.
Charley Crockett is no stranger to the shadows. With Age of the Ram, the Texan drifter rides into London to close out his legendary Sagebrush Trilogy. It’s a record for the loners, the outlaws, and the ones making a dollar a day just outside the law.
UNCLE backed the release with a flyposting takeover, plastering the album’s outlaw spirit across East and West London. No polished billboards—just raw paper on walls, mirroring the soul of the record.
The trilogy is complete.
The Age of the Ram is now.
UNCLE backed the release with a flyposting takeover, plastering the album’s outlaw spirit across East and West London. No polished billboards—just raw paper on walls, mirroring the soul of the record.
The trilogy is complete.
The Age of the Ram is now.
REPRESENT remained the undisputed heavyweight of British luxury streetwear, a brand forged in the relentless hustle of the UK underground.
For the launch of PRE-SS26, they partnered with UNCLE to reclaim the streets with a 4-sheet guerrilla blitz across the walls of Manchester and the concrete arteries of London. It was a hostile takeover – pairing bold silhouettes with the unapologetic energy of outdoor flyposting.
Just proper British grit, pasted where it mattered most.
For the launch of PRE-SS26, they partnered with UNCLE to reclaim the streets with a 4-sheet guerrilla blitz across the walls of Manchester and the concrete arteries of London. It was a hostile takeover – pairing bold silhouettes with the unapologetic energy of outdoor flyposting.
Just proper British grit, pasted where it mattered most.
March landed – the city moved differently. VARLEY’s “For Every Step” hit the streets. Retro runners, sharp court silhouettes – built for motion, made to be seen. Precision design met effortless defiance. Every pair was tuned for the everyday, without compromise.
A total street takeover. Across the city, massive UNCLE B1 flyposting blocks stood bold. UNCLE gave it to the streets.
A total street takeover. Across the city, massive UNCLE B1 flyposting blocks stood bold. UNCLE gave it to the streets.
Five years of silence – over. Paul turned the lens inward, unlocking formative memories and untold stories that built his legacy. The Boys of Dungeon Lane lands May 29: raw, intimate, and alive with newly sparked love songs.
In a massive street-level tribute, UNCLE seized control of Liverpool and London, flooding the streets with an intensive 4-sheet takeover. Even before Paul’s first mention—IYKYK—the landscape had transformed. From the docks to the West End, every wall stood as a silent testament to his most personal story yet.
In a massive street-level tribute, UNCLE seized control of Liverpool and London, flooding the streets with an intensive 4-sheet takeover. Even before Paul’s first mention—IYKYK—the landscape had transformed. From the docks to the West End, every wall stood as a silent testament to his most personal story yet.
The rules of haircare weren’t being rewritten in a lab—they were being plastered across the concrete. Partnering with UNCLE for a heavy-duty tactical strike, K18 seized control of London and Manchester with a high-impact flyposting blitz.
Commanding the streetscape with 4-sheet citywide and block formats, every wall was hijacked to announce something BIG: a chance for a radical, long-lasting blonde transformation. UNCLE brought the grit; K18 brought the science. Both cities were officially saturated.
Commanding the streetscape with 4-sheet citywide and block formats, every wall was hijacked to announce something BIG: a chance for a radical, long-lasting blonde transformation. UNCLE brought the grit; K18 brought the science. Both cities were officially saturated.
Forget Regency decorum.
Eggslut hijacks the language of forbidden desire. ‘Egg Yearning’ flips classic romance on its head—swapping breathless longing for an unapologetic obsession with breakfast. Corsets out, brioche in.
Inspired by the internet’s obsession with raw intensity, the brand hit up London streets with UNCLE, plastering B2 flyposting blocks across the city—turning street grit into a gallery of pure craving. No restraint. Just subversive indulgence.
Eggslut hijacks the language of forbidden desire. ‘Egg Yearning’ flips classic romance on its head—swapping breathless longing for an unapologetic obsession with breakfast. Corsets out, brioche in.
Inspired by the internet’s obsession with raw intensity, the brand hit up London streets with UNCLE, plastering B2 flyposting blocks across the city—turning street grit into a gallery of pure craving. No restraint. Just subversive indulgence.
Same song. Different mix. For NYC Fragrance Week, D.S. & DURGA took their 2015 cult classic out of the bottle and onto the streets.
Debaser in Bloom turns up the volume—“hot, humid, sexy” fig collides with white gardenia and the metallic bite of cassette nostalgia. No boutiques, no restraint. With UNCLE, the launch hit the streets in a surge of XL flyposting and B2 blocks, flooding New York in full force.
Debaser in Bloom turns up the volume—“hot, humid, sexy” fig collides with white gardenia and the metallic bite of cassette nostalgia. No boutiques, no restraint. With UNCLE, the launch hit the streets in a surge of XL flyposting and B2 blocks, flooding New York in full force.
Eight trailblazers, eight reimagined colours, one defiant question: who are you? Rainforest Next powers the Spring/Summer ’26 collection, cutting through the noise to explore identity in motion—where values aren’t spoken, but worn.
This March, Napapijri took that manifesto to the streets with UNCLE, taking over West London with B1 and 4-sheet flyposting to spotlight fashion disrupter Julia Sarr-Jamois and the legendary Vinnie Jones.
No polish, just pure cultural grit.
This March, Napapijri took that manifesto to the streets with UNCLE, taking over West London with B1 and 4-sheet flyposting to spotlight fashion disrupter Julia Sarr-Jamois and the legendary Vinnie Jones.
No polish, just pure cultural grit.
When a song changes the trajectory of a life, you don’t just release it – you plaster it across the capital. To announce Niall Horan’s latest single, Dinner Party, UNCLE made an impact with a 4-sheet flyposting campaign.
UNCLE celebrates this meeting between Niall and Amelia right in the heart of London’s streets. We used the raw power of physical posters to make the March 20th drop impossible to miss.
UNCLE celebrates this meeting between Niall and Amelia right in the heart of London’s streets. We used the raw power of physical posters to make the March 20th drop impossible to miss.
COS
Presenting the Monument Tote: A sharp architectural statement from the COS atelier, built to disrupt the street landscape.
To mark the launch, UNCLE took its striking East–West silhouette straight to the walls of London. Raw 4-sheet blocks. No polish. Just presence.
High-fashion craftsmanship placed exactly where it belongs.
Built for movement.
Built for the street.
To mark the launch, UNCLE took its striking East–West silhouette straight to the walls of London. Raw 4-sheet blocks. No polish. Just presence.
High-fashion craftsmanship placed exactly where it belongs.
Built for movement.
Built for the street.
Spring ‘26 collection just dropped.
While Lila Moss brought the refined, tonal minimalism, UNCLE brought the noise.
We took Adanola’s effortless
movement and hit the pavement.
We invaded London’s most influential territories with high-impact flyposting. From the creative East to the high-end West, we brought a raw, gritty aesthetic
to the streets. UNCLE made sure Adanola’s understated elegance didn’t just ‘launch’.
It took over the streets.
While Lila Moss brought the refined, tonal minimalism, UNCLE brought the noise.
We took Adanola’s effortless
movement and hit the pavement.
We invaded London’s most influential territories with high-impact flyposting. From the creative East to the high-end West, we brought a raw, gritty aesthetic
to the streets. UNCLE made sure Adanola’s understated elegance didn’t just ‘launch’.
It took over the streets.
The Anti-Burnout Takeover
As INORA launched its new solution to modern stress during London Fashion Week, UNCLE took the antidote straight to the source of the chaos. Engineered for the high-performance rituals of the women who run the city, this liquid energy was injected into the daily flow of workout classes, iced coffees, and business lunches.
Through high-impact 4-sheet flyposting and storefront takeovers, we cut through the London noise. From the high-pressure grid of the City to the creative hubs of the East, we turned weathered, graffiti-strewn walls into a direct portal to the INORA universe.
As INORA launched its new solution to modern stress during London Fashion Week, UNCLE took the antidote straight to the source of the chaos. Engineered for the high-performance rituals of the women who run the city, this liquid energy was injected into the daily flow of workout classes, iced coffees, and business lunches.
Through high-impact 4-sheet flyposting and storefront takeovers, we cut through the London noise. From the high-pressure grid of the City to the creative hubs of the East, we turned weathered, graffiti-strewn walls into a direct portal to the INORA universe.
Nothing Tech
“It’s Pink Now”
Moving away from its signature monochrome tone, Nothing Tech celebrated the launch of the Phone (4a) pink with a splash (of paint).
The deliberate shake-up is in response to the sameness across modern tech, expressing themselves in an industry of aluminium and glass.
Like the phones, UNCLE brought a celebration of nostalgia, fun and optimism to the streets of London. The black and white 4 sheets were used as the canvas for pink graffiti, creating a moment in the city that challenged the industry’s status quo.
Moving away from its signature monochrome tone, Nothing Tech celebrated the launch of the Phone (4a) pink with a splash (of paint).
The deliberate shake-up is in response to the sameness across modern tech, expressing themselves in an industry of aluminium and glass.
Like the phones, UNCLE brought a celebration of nostalgia, fun and optimism to the streets of London. The black and white 4 sheets were used as the canvas for pink graffiti, creating a moment in the city that challenged the industry’s status quo.
KSENIASCHNAIDER x LEE COOPER
Previewed at London Fashion Week, the second collaboration between KSENIASCHNAIDER and Lee Cooper combines the Ukrainian designers’ avant-garde, up-cycled aesthetic with the heritage denim brand.
With roots in workwear and durability, Lee Cooper is the Original British Denim brand, making a perfect partnership with KSENIASCHAIDER’s sustainable, experimental ethos. The collection merges classic denim forward for a new generation.
To introduce the collection at London Fashion Week, UNCLE brought 4-sheets to the heart of Soho. With bold, cropped portraits, London streets throughout the festival radiate the collection’s fusion of craftsmanship and innovation.
With roots in workwear and durability, Lee Cooper is the Original British Denim brand, making a perfect partnership with KSENIASCHAIDER’s sustainable, experimental ethos. The collection merges classic denim forward for a new generation.
To introduce the collection at London Fashion Week, UNCLE brought 4-sheets to the heart of Soho. With bold, cropped portraits, London streets throughout the festival radiate the collection’s fusion of craftsmanship and innovation.
Foster’s: Love You Cans
Australian beer brand Foster’s is encouraging British men to say ‘Love you’ to their friends with sweary can gifts, because “proper mates don’t use proper names”.
With 4 sheet blocks, UNCLE brought the campaign to London – where “all the bros affectionately known as Richard Head” could show they care about their mates.
Featured in Campaign Magazine’s creative highlights.
With 4 sheet blocks, UNCLE brought the campaign to London – where “all the bros affectionately known as Richard Head” could show they care about their mates.
Featured in Campaign Magazine’s creative highlights.
Rooted in architectural precision and inspired equally by Japanese minimalism and the urban environment, Studio Nicholson creates clothing that sit comfortably at the intersection of function and material intelligence.
UNCLE helped translate their refined ethos from their Spring 26 lookbook into poster form. Rolling out takeovers that echoed the brand’s minimalist language, as well as paste-ups for larger impact, the campaign let repetition and restraint do the work.
UNCLE helped translate their refined ethos from their Spring 26 lookbook into poster form. Rolling out takeovers that echoed the brand’s minimalist language, as well as paste-ups for larger impact, the campaign let repetition and restraint do the work.
So, where is your head at?
Boiler Room recently announced a daytime open-air festival at London’s Burgess Park with the legendary English duo, Basement Jaxx.
UNCLE worked with Boiler Room to mark the occasion with a takeover of London’s streets. Large posters read “WHERE’S YOUR HEAD AT?” – a nod to the 2001 era-defining anthem – and were placed alongside imagery of the iconic monkey from the music video. The result was a campaign that stopped passersby in their tracks and pulled them straight into the energy of a noughties nightclub.
Boiler Room recently announced a daytime open-air festival at London’s Burgess Park with the legendary English duo, Basement Jaxx.
UNCLE worked with Boiler Room to mark the occasion with a takeover of London’s streets. Large posters read “WHERE’S YOUR HEAD AT?” – a nod to the 2001 era-defining anthem – and were placed alongside imagery of the iconic monkey from the music video. The result was a campaign that stopped passersby in their tracks and pulled them straight into the energy of a noughties nightclub.
A quarter-century since their debut, Gorillaz are still moving faster than the culture. To celebrate their new album The Mountain – a vibrant, Indian-inspired ode to life – UNCLE brought Hewlett and Albarn’s latest vision to the streets.
UNCLE flooded the streets of London and Manchester, cutting through the noise with a heavy-duty spread of B2s and 4-sheets.
Twenty-five years on, and the Gorillaz fire is still prolific. This wasn’t just a campaign; it was a homecoming for the legends.
UNCLE flooded the streets of London and Manchester, cutting through the noise with a heavy-duty spread of B2s and 4-sheets.
Twenty-five years on, and the Gorillaz fire is still prolific. This wasn’t just a campaign; it was a homecoming for the legends.
Kneecap: Fenian
This is a reclamation, Kneecap style. Named after a term heavy with historical weight and misinterpretation, the Irish trio’s next album, Fenian, is challenging the outsiders’ definitions and flipping them back on the storytellers.
UNCLE helped with the rollout of the album in two distinct phases. The first leaned hard into language and context, pasting oversized definitions that reframed a loaded word on the street. The second phase revealed the album artwork: bold and unmistakably Kneecap.
UNCLE helped with the rollout of the album in two distinct phases. The first leaned hard into language and context, pasting oversized definitions that reframed a loaded word on the street. The second phase revealed the album artwork: bold and unmistakably Kneecap.
Thirty years on from the original HELP compilation, War Child’s new release brings together some of the biggest names in music.
Back in 1995, War Child brought together some of the biggest names in music to record an album in one day. The result, HELP, raised over a million pounds for the charity, which had been set up to support children caught up in the Bosnian conflict. Fast forward to 2021 and a label, War Child Records, was set up to re-release four albums released by the charity between 2002 and 2009.
Each album saw artists covering beloved records, collaborating with other artists, or donating new songs. 1 Love was released in 2002 with a track list that included Sugababes and The Prodigy (the latter remaking The Specials’ ‘Ghost Town’). The following year saw Hope released, in response to the Iraq War, with exclusive tracks and covers from the likes of George Michael, Spiritualized, Beth Orton and Yusuf Islam. 2005’s Help! A Day in the Life celebrated the tenth anniversary of the original and in 2009, War Child Presents Heroes had a collaboration between Lily Allen and Mick Jones from The Clash and covers from Beck, Estelle and Franz Ferdinand.
Now, HELP(2) is poised to repeat that success. Recorded over one intense week at Abbey Road Studios in November last year and executive produced by James Ford, the project was unveiled via the surprise release of a brand-new Arctic Monkeys track. Alongside original recordings, the album features a run of standout covers, including Olivia Rodrigo’s take on ‘The Book of Love’ and Fontaines D.C.’s powerful reimagining of Sinéad O’Connor’s ‘Black Boys on Mopeds’.
Additionally, there’s an all-star band pulled together by Damon Albarn. Alongside vocals from Kae Tempest and Grian Chatten, ‘Flags’ also features Johnny Marr on guitar, Adrian Utley from Portishead, Dave Okumu of The Invisible, Seye from Gorillaz and Ezra Collective drummer and bandleader Femi Koleoso.
It was collaborative in every sense of the word. “They were in the studio for two days,” recalls War Child’s head of music, Rich Clarke. “First day, Damon decided he’d really like to incorporate a children’s choir. The A&R team hastily found two children’s choirs and they took the second day to record it. Then on the second day he decided it would be amazing to have an adult choir as well. The call went out, and we had all of Pulp come in, and all of English Teacher. Carl Barât, Marika Hackman, Declan McKenna, Let’s Eat Grandma. Everyone mucked in.”
Money raised from HELP(2) will go to War Child’s work in 14 counties, where they partner with local organisations to provide emergency support, protection and care, education and community support during and in the aftermath of conflict. It also offers a sunny moment in otherwise unrelenting realities.
“For last few years, taking the Ukraine conflict as a starting point, the news has been saturated with violence,” says Rich Clarke. “We didn’t think there’d be war in Europe again, possibly in our lifetimes. The situation in Gaza. Sudan is finally making it into the news and that’s the largest humanitarian crisis in the world right now. There’s a feeling of helplessness, generally. This felt like a positive project people could lean into.” It’s certainly necessary: around 520 million children are affected by conflict, roughly double the number thirty years ago.
HELP(2) visuals were led by Academy Award-winning director Jonathan Glazer and frequent collaborator Mica Levi, and the album artwork is now visible across London on poster and billboard sites donated by BUILDHOLLYWOOD and UNCLE. “I’m going to cycle down Camden Road on the way home, take a pic, pop it on my Instagram,” says Clarke. “Doing it as a billboard is a real ‘wow, it’s real!’ moment. That’s the picture you send your mum, isn’t it? It hits harder than forwarding the PDF file.”
Back in 1995, War Child brought together some of the biggest names in music to record an album in one day. The result, HELP, raised over a million pounds for the charity, which had been set up to support children caught up in the Bosnian conflict. Fast forward to 2021 and a label, War Child Records, was set up to re-release four albums released by the charity between 2002 and 2009.
Each album saw artists covering beloved records, collaborating with other artists, or donating new songs. 1 Love was released in 2002 with a track list that included Sugababes and The Prodigy (the latter remaking The Specials’ ‘Ghost Town’). The following year saw Hope released, in response to the Iraq War, with exclusive tracks and covers from the likes of George Michael, Spiritualized, Beth Orton and Yusuf Islam. 2005’s Help! A Day in the Life celebrated the tenth anniversary of the original and in 2009, War Child Presents Heroes had a collaboration between Lily Allen and Mick Jones from The Clash and covers from Beck, Estelle and Franz Ferdinand.
Now, HELP(2) is poised to repeat that success. Recorded over one intense week at Abbey Road Studios in November last year and executive produced by James Ford, the project was unveiled via the surprise release of a brand-new Arctic Monkeys track. Alongside original recordings, the album features a run of standout covers, including Olivia Rodrigo’s take on ‘The Book of Love’ and Fontaines D.C.’s powerful reimagining of Sinéad O’Connor’s ‘Black Boys on Mopeds’.
Additionally, there’s an all-star band pulled together by Damon Albarn. Alongside vocals from Kae Tempest and Grian Chatten, ‘Flags’ also features Johnny Marr on guitar, Adrian Utley from Portishead, Dave Okumu of The Invisible, Seye from Gorillaz and Ezra Collective drummer and bandleader Femi Koleoso.
It was collaborative in every sense of the word. “They were in the studio for two days,” recalls War Child’s head of music, Rich Clarke. “First day, Damon decided he’d really like to incorporate a children’s choir. The A&R team hastily found two children’s choirs and they took the second day to record it. Then on the second day he decided it would be amazing to have an adult choir as well. The call went out, and we had all of Pulp come in, and all of English Teacher. Carl Barât, Marika Hackman, Declan McKenna, Let’s Eat Grandma. Everyone mucked in.”
Money raised from HELP(2) will go to War Child’s work in 14 counties, where they partner with local organisations to provide emergency support, protection and care, education and community support during and in the aftermath of conflict. It also offers a sunny moment in otherwise unrelenting realities.
“For last few years, taking the Ukraine conflict as a starting point, the news has been saturated with violence,” says Rich Clarke. “We didn’t think there’d be war in Europe again, possibly in our lifetimes. The situation in Gaza. Sudan is finally making it into the news and that’s the largest humanitarian crisis in the world right now. There’s a feeling of helplessness, generally. This felt like a positive project people could lean into.” It’s certainly necessary: around 520 million children are affected by conflict, roughly double the number thirty years ago.
HELP(2) visuals were led by Academy Award-winning director Jonathan Glazer and frequent collaborator Mica Levi, and the album artwork is now visible across London on poster and billboard sites donated by BUILDHOLLYWOOD and UNCLE. “I’m going to cycle down Camden Road on the way home, take a pic, pop it on my Instagram,” says Clarke. “Doing it as a billboard is a real ‘wow, it’s real!’ moment. That’s the picture you send your mum, isn’t it? It hits harder than forwarding the PDF file.”
What is it about bringing together artists, for special recording sessions, that works so well for War Child?
There’s heritage and trust. The creative lynchpin of everything is producer James Ford, and this record is a reflection of the collective spirit of the music industry. James is in a current battle with leukaemia, which he came down with a couple of months after agreeing to do this. The original idea was very different – working very closely with each and every artist in the studio but that wasn’t possible. He did the production remotely and a lot of other producers, engineers and mixers stepped up and filled in: David Wrench, Marta Salongi, Catherine Marks. It was a collective spirit, for James and for the cause.
The Arctic Monkeys track ‘Opening Night’ had eight million streams within a few days of release. What else can you tell us about the music?
We had a real coup getting Cameron Winter at a point when Geese have gone absolutely stratospheric. There’s a Depeche Mode cover of a track called ‘Universal Soldier’ which is a folk song Donovan made famous. They’ve done a full Depeche industrial makeover of it and it punches quite hard.
What are the musical links between HELP from 1995 and HELP (2)?
There’s a narrative that weaves through from then to now. Beth Gibbons comes back and does a cover of Velvet Underground’s ‘Sunday Morning’. Graham Coxon plays guitar on the Olivia Rodrigo track and he’s on English Teachers’ track. Damon Albarn’s back. Pulp weren’t on the original, but the original was nominated for the Mercury Prize the year after it was released. Pulp won, for Different Class, but they said HELP should have won and donated the prize money to War Child.
Another link between then and now is the role of billboards in spreading the word…
Billboards are consumed the same way as ’95 – it’s what you see from the top deck of the bus – but it’s used differently. Back then you’d tell your mates when you got to work but now it’ll be straight up on whatever platforms people use. I love some of the creativity you see around billboards, like when they go beyond the frame or become an art piece. It’s always nice to see something you don’t expect. There aren’t that many nice surprises in life now, so it’s good to see something that makes you stop and look. So, I hope people stop and look and scan the QR code.
The idea behind the visual world of the album is ‘by children, for children’. How did that work in the studio?
We will always represent children in a dignified and empowering way and we would never use imagery that shows injury or trauma. The scene on the album cover captures a moment of transcendence and escape for the boy running through the water. It does show that brutality of war but there are moments of incredible lightness that celebrate childhood. It’s unbridled happiness: the joy, the light, everything. The cover and creative direction for the project was by Academy Award Winner Jonathan Glazer. Academy Films built on that, giving eight- and nine-year-old children handheld cameras, to film the artists recording. You can see what’s happening in the studio through the eyes of a child.
There’s heritage and trust. The creative lynchpin of everything is producer James Ford, and this record is a reflection of the collective spirit of the music industry. James is in a current battle with leukaemia, which he came down with a couple of months after agreeing to do this. The original idea was very different – working very closely with each and every artist in the studio but that wasn’t possible. He did the production remotely and a lot of other producers, engineers and mixers stepped up and filled in: David Wrench, Marta Salongi, Catherine Marks. It was a collective spirit, for James and for the cause.
The Arctic Monkeys track ‘Opening Night’ had eight million streams within a few days of release. What else can you tell us about the music?
We had a real coup getting Cameron Winter at a point when Geese have gone absolutely stratospheric. There’s a Depeche Mode cover of a track called ‘Universal Soldier’ which is a folk song Donovan made famous. They’ve done a full Depeche industrial makeover of it and it punches quite hard.
What are the musical links between HELP from 1995 and HELP (2)?
There’s a narrative that weaves through from then to now. Beth Gibbons comes back and does a cover of Velvet Underground’s ‘Sunday Morning’. Graham Coxon plays guitar on the Olivia Rodrigo track and he’s on English Teachers’ track. Damon Albarn’s back. Pulp weren’t on the original, but the original was nominated for the Mercury Prize the year after it was released. Pulp won, for Different Class, but they said HELP should have won and donated the prize money to War Child.
Another link between then and now is the role of billboards in spreading the word…
Billboards are consumed the same way as ’95 – it’s what you see from the top deck of the bus – but it’s used differently. Back then you’d tell your mates when you got to work but now it’ll be straight up on whatever platforms people use. I love some of the creativity you see around billboards, like when they go beyond the frame or become an art piece. It’s always nice to see something you don’t expect. There aren’t that many nice surprises in life now, so it’s good to see something that makes you stop and look. So, I hope people stop and look and scan the QR code.
The idea behind the visual world of the album is ‘by children, for children’. How did that work in the studio?
We will always represent children in a dignified and empowering way and we would never use imagery that shows injury or trauma. The scene on the album cover captures a moment of transcendence and escape for the boy running through the water. It does show that brutality of war but there are moments of incredible lightness that celebrate childhood. It’s unbridled happiness: the joy, the light, everything. The cover and creative direction for the project was by Academy Award Winner Jonathan Glazer. Academy Films built on that, giving eight- and nine-year-old children handheld cameras, to film the artists recording. You can see what’s happening in the studio through the eyes of a child.
How did this work with the children who contributed remotely?
We worked with Academy Films to get crews out to Gaza, Yemen and Sudan, where handheld cameras were given out to children. They filmed their peers just being children. They run, jump, play, climb, laugh, fall over, drop the camera. It’s deeply moving, but positive and empowering. It humanises conflict; it’s not far away or distant. Childhood is universal.
Are there any plans to record artists from conflict zones?
It’s something we’ve explored in the past. We’ve worked with musicians around Kinshasa in the DRC and there’s been a talk of a musical exchange with our programmes in Jordan and Lebanon. There’s a desire to do it but we just haven’t found the right way. A lot of musicians here are from backgrounds in the conflict countries we work in, so we’re always really keen to link that up; to tell that story, to shine a light. We’re in 14 countries and only a few are on the news agenda.
It’s easy to imagine that charity sits in a different place to culture. I think that’s a false binary. Is this something that War Child thinks about?
The first seeds of change often come from culture: art, theatre, music. That’s the first form of protest often, the first form of reaction. Culture and charity seek change, serve a purpose, and to make a difference.
Are there challenges in being vocal and active about conflict even when you’re just focusing on children’s experience?
Yes. It is and it isn’t. Like every charitable organisation, we’re politically neutral. There are challenges with some of the more politicised conflicts. Ultimately children are always the innocent victims of war. War is waged for many different reasons and different agendas and we do our best to navigate it.
The track list for HELP in 1995 wasn’t printed on the inlay because there wasn’t time between recording and release. What else has gone down in your organisational history about that time?
The challenge and the excitement of getting in there and laying down in a single day. Two of the artists were The Stone Roses and Stereo MCs – I think it took them five years and eight years respectively to make their second albums. In 1995 the logistical piece was massive: to record it in the day and have it in the shops five days later. There are stories of private jets, tapes missing ferries – somehow it all got together. It went to print on the artwork before Eno who mastered the album had finished sequencing. There’s no track list on the vinyl this time either, for a similar reason. There was an artwork production deadline – but it’s also an homage to the original. We put a sticker on the front this time.
We worked with Academy Films to get crews out to Gaza, Yemen and Sudan, where handheld cameras were given out to children. They filmed their peers just being children. They run, jump, play, climb, laugh, fall over, drop the camera. It’s deeply moving, but positive and empowering. It humanises conflict; it’s not far away or distant. Childhood is universal.
Are there any plans to record artists from conflict zones?
It’s something we’ve explored in the past. We’ve worked with musicians around Kinshasa in the DRC and there’s been a talk of a musical exchange with our programmes in Jordan and Lebanon. There’s a desire to do it but we just haven’t found the right way. A lot of musicians here are from backgrounds in the conflict countries we work in, so we’re always really keen to link that up; to tell that story, to shine a light. We’re in 14 countries and only a few are on the news agenda.
It’s easy to imagine that charity sits in a different place to culture. I think that’s a false binary. Is this something that War Child thinks about?
The first seeds of change often come from culture: art, theatre, music. That’s the first form of protest often, the first form of reaction. Culture and charity seek change, serve a purpose, and to make a difference.
Are there challenges in being vocal and active about conflict even when you’re just focusing on children’s experience?
Yes. It is and it isn’t. Like every charitable organisation, we’re politically neutral. There are challenges with some of the more politicised conflicts. Ultimately children are always the innocent victims of war. War is waged for many different reasons and different agendas and we do our best to navigate it.
The track list for HELP in 1995 wasn’t printed on the inlay because there wasn’t time between recording and release. What else has gone down in your organisational history about that time?
The challenge and the excitement of getting in there and laying down in a single day. Two of the artists were The Stone Roses and Stereo MCs – I think it took them five years and eight years respectively to make their second albums. In 1995 the logistical piece was massive: to record it in the day and have it in the shops five days later. There are stories of private jets, tapes missing ferries – somehow it all got together. It went to print on the artwork before Eno who mastered the album had finished sequencing. There’s no track list on the vinyl this time either, for a similar reason. There was an artwork production deadline – but it’s also an homage to the original. We put a sticker on the front this time.
Goldwin
Goldwin arrived in Europe by putting London at the centre of the frame. To mark the opening of its European flagship in Soho, the brand took over the streets around it with a minimal, stripped-back flyposting campaign that mirrored the precision of the product itself.
Running across 4 sheets and 4 sheet blocks, the work featured pared-back studio imagery of groups and individuals styled in Goldwin outerwear, overlaid with the line “Come Together, London.” The repetition of creatives and composition built scale, while the calm, functional aesthetic cleanly cut through the visual noise of London. This isn’t Goldwin shouting for attention, but confidently taking their place – courtesy of UNCLE.
Running across 4 sheets and 4 sheet blocks, the work featured pared-back studio imagery of groups and individuals styled in Goldwin outerwear, overlaid with the line “Come Together, London.” The repetition of creatives and composition built scale, while the calm, functional aesthetic cleanly cut through the visual noise of London. This isn’t Goldwin shouting for attention, but confidently taking their place – courtesy of UNCLE.
While the digital world choked on its own algorithms, i-D hit the streets for real for the Spring 2026 launch of The Lore Issue.
To celebrate Issue 376, UNCLE injected a shot of pure adrenaline into London’s arteries with a radical flyposting offensive.
From monumental UA Quads to raw B2 blocks, we saturated the city, spreading the anti-algorithmic culture. This was more than a drop; it was a visual insurrection. In an age of fleeting pixels, we left a heavy mark on the concrete.
To celebrate Issue 376, UNCLE injected a shot of pure adrenaline into London’s arteries with a radical flyposting offensive.
From monumental UA Quads to raw B2 blocks, we saturated the city, spreading the anti-algorithmic culture. This was more than a drop; it was a visual insurrection. In an age of fleeting pixels, we left a heavy mark on the concrete.
James Blake’s new album Trying Times is a meditation on love, isolation and the relentlessness of modern life. Launching on March 13, it is Blake’s first fully independent album – a 12-track body of work that moves “through the comfort of loving and being loved while recognising how fragile that safety can feel” against global anxieties and private doubts.
After Blake teased the album online for 72 hours, UNCLE worked with Virgin Music to do the same, but in the physical world. Featuring stark, type-driven posters with the album and single titles, the campaign mirrors the emotional weight of the forthcoming album and Blake’s comments on modernity.
After Blake teased the album online for 72 hours, UNCLE worked with Virgin Music to do the same, but in the physical world. Featuring stark, type-driven posters with the album and single titles, the campaign mirrors the emotional weight of the forthcoming album and Blake’s comments on modernity.
For its latest campaign, Monica Vinader has tapped English singer/songwriter Sienna Spiro to front the premium jewellery brand. In a series of intimate, performance-led visuals – shot between stillness and sound – the imagery captures Spiro wearing select pieces naturally and comfortably.
Concentrating on West and Central London, UNCLE let the campaign sing out with a flyposting rollout across a mix of small and large formats. Black-and-white, warmed-toned portraits turned city walls into a stage, letting the collaboration speak where London moves most.
Concentrating on West and Central London, UNCLE let the campaign sing out with a flyposting rollout across a mix of small and large formats. Black-and-white, warmed-toned portraits turned city walls into a stage, letting the collaboration speak where London moves most.
Morphe: Buttery Blend Brushes
Smooth, spreadable and made to melt in. Morphe’s Butter Blends Brush Collection is here. No hard edges, no heavy-handed claims – just brushes designed to glide.
UNCLE took the launch to the streets, flyposting across London, Manchester and Birmingham. Layered, repeated placements of creamy tones and product imagery let the buttery palette do the talking. This result cut through rough city textures while staying clean and composed for Morphe’s smoothest drop yet.
UNCLE took the launch to the streets, flyposting across London, Manchester and Birmingham. Layered, repeated placements of creamy tones and product imagery let the buttery palette do the talking. This result cut through rough city textures while staying clean and composed for Morphe’s smoothest drop yet.
Harry Styles: Kiss All The Time. Disco, Occasionally.
After nearly four years without a full-length release, Harry Styles has just announced his next project, in monumental fashion. Teasing his long-awaited fourth solo album, Kiss All the Time. Disco, Occasionally., cryptic billboards and posters began appearing on streets around the world – a sign that, for fans, could only mean one thing.
UNCLE worked with 7stars and Columbia Records as the on-the-ground team helping to bring this moment to life. Across London, Birmingham, Liverpool, Manchester and New York, large-format posters featuring crowd imagery and the words “WE BELONG TOGETHER” took over city walls. The result was a global moment of connection and community, meeting Styles’ audience exactly where they move, meet and live.
UNCLE worked with 7stars and Columbia Records as the on-the-ground team helping to bring this moment to life. Across London, Birmingham, Liverpool, Manchester and New York, large-format posters featuring crowd imagery and the words “WE BELONG TOGETHER” took over city walls. The result was a global moment of connection and community, meeting Styles’ audience exactly where they move, meet and live.
FCUKERS: Ö
FCUKERS have built a reputation on distortion, disruption, and a refusal to smooth the edges. In anticipation of their recently announced album Ö, UNCLE worked with the band to take their unmatched energy directly onto the streets. Posters were installed throughout East London and then intentionally graffitied as part of the creative itself – reinforcing FCUKERS’ anti-polish attitude and aligning the visuals with the raw immediacy of their sound.
A$AP Rocky’s Don’t Be Dumb isn’t just a traditional album but rather a fully realised creative universe. It’s a welcome return to old school A$AP, existing within the world of Tim Burton – who helped illustrate the album artwork. Built some 8 years after his last album, the project is an eclectic body of works that encompasses a whole lot of genres, and allows for A$AP’s alter egos to shine. To bring A$AP’s world into physical space, UNCLE translated Burton’s hand-drawn characters and warped visual language onto the streets. Stark DON’T BE DUMB typography sat alongside distorted figures, checkerboarding and colliding into moments that live online and offline.
Free AF
Playful and provocative, Free AF set out to reframe what non-alcoholic culture looks like on the street. Swapping clichés around sobriety for attitude, the brand’s “Get Drink On Life” messaging celebrates moments and experiences without the alcohol. To welcome the range to UK shelves, UNCLE and Excite OOH took the bold AF visual language into the streets. Checkerboard flyposters collided photography, typography and humour, inviting passersby to rethink what “getting drunk” really means.
Portal provides clothing for modern explorers to live life with movement. Across running, cycling and hiking, the brand takes inspiration from its founders’ multinational origins – Oslo, Vancouver and London – applying a unifying perspective to outdoor activity. To ensure Londoners are prepared for the cold while still looking good, UNCLE worked with Portal and covered the city in B2 blocks of the brand’s signature Biome jacket.
It’s been an interesting year for Irish rap-trio Kneecap, and it’s not over yet. Addressing the terrorism charge that was brought against band member Mo Chara, “No Comment is all about getting harassed by the British state,” and was made alongside English producer and DJ, Sub Focus. Working with UNCLE, the new single was plastered across the walls of London, with artwork featuring Banksy’s now infamous ‘Royal Courts of Justice’ mural.
This is the holiday season for Marc Jacobs. Bold colour, tongue-in-cheek styling and a high-gloss attitude. To support the seasonal push, UNCLE and Marc Jacobs rolled out a wildposting campaign across London and Madrid. In both cities, walls were taken over with large-format posters spotlighting the campaign’s signature imagery and the playful chaos of holiday dressing. Each placement was a triptych of the creative stacked side-by-side, helping Marc Jacobs’ holiday world land where it belonged.
With its calm minimalism and tactile comfort, TEKLA’s world has arrived in London. It’s their first UK store, opening on Marylebone High Street. To introduce the space, UNCLE worked with TEKLA to roll out a wildposting campaign that translated the brand’s serene visuals directly onto the streets. Across neighbourhoods in Central London, walls were covered with 4 sheets, showcasing TEKLA’s signature essentials. Each placement paired product photography with the store’s new address, creating a moment of stillness within the city’s visual noise.
Defined by raw immediacy and a rebellious British spirit, Vivienne Westwood’s AW25/26 campaign has arrived with a defiant elegance. Shot moments after the Paris runway show, the campaign captures the collection’s tension between tradition and play. To introduce the season’s visual world, UNCLE worked with Vivienne Westwood to bring this energy into the streets of London, Paris and New York. Across walls and storefronts, the flyposting campaign mirrored the collection’s push-and-pull of polish and grit which feels unmistakably true to the house.
Characterised by an evergreen palette, and rooted in everyday grit and an unmistakably home-soil attitude – this is what AW looks like for Home Grown, as seen on size?. Introducing the collection to three cities, UNCLE worked with size? and rolled out a campaign that brought Homegrown’s visual world into the streets. Across London, Manchester, and Paris, walls were pasted with repeated imagery that amplified the two brands’ identities. A monochrome logo acted as an anchor between the three cities, while localised adaptations tied the rollout back to each store – ensuring passersby knew exactly where to find the capsule.
In its three short years, RALLY has proved to be more than just another one-day festival. Built on collaboration and cross-discipline, the festival celebrates London’s underground music and arts communities, with a focus on DIY culture and grassroot movements. Having recently announced their first artist as Blood Orange, a musician synonymous with boundary-pushing sound and emotional depth, UNCLE helped the city of London see RALLY for what it is, and what it stands for.
Good karma tastes great. Every Karma Drink sold powers education, healthcare and sustainability projects for the kola nut growing communities in Sierra Leone. Put simply, they’re a company giving back to where it all begins. To celebrate another year of good karma, UNCLE helped facilitate a flyposting campaign in London that raises a glass for the good that they are doing, year on year.
Hip Store has been at the forefront of street fashion. With their flagship store in Manchester’s iconic Northern Quarter, the brand offers a roster of highly sought-after and exclusive products. For AW25, HIP and UNCLE took over Manchester and London with a street-level showcase of their collection, straight from the photography studio.
London’s own Bar Italia, returned with Some like It Hot, the trio’s fifth studio album. Its a record that burns with romance, intrigue, self-discovery and rapture – music made for dark rooms and loud streets. Working with Beggars, UNCLE helped announce the album, and world tour of the same name, to the streets of the band’s stomping ground with visuals of the band framed in electric blue – contrasting against the city greys.
For FW25, Timberland marked 50 years of the Original Yellow Boot with Advice of an Icon – a global campaign celebrating heritage, authenticity and the next chapter of street culture. Working with Croud, UNCLE took the campaign to the walls of London, Milan and Paris. Featuring striking portraits of Spike Lee, Skepta and Kiko Mizuhara (three icons who embody the same self-belief that built Timberland) the campaign cut through the city noise with timeless simplicity.
After four years of silence, Dave has just returned with The Boy Who Played The Harp. It’s an introspective comeback for the UK-rapper. Softer in sound yet sharper in message, it’s a story of reflection, growth and mastery, told by the kid who started it all – still searching for harmony in the noise. UNCLE and Neighbourhood Recording made sure the streets were ready for this welcome return with a campaign split over two phases. Phase one showcased the artwork’s poetic visuals, while phase two saw portraits of Dave and the album’s co-collaborators in a campaign that felt more like presence than promotion. A reminder that sometimes the loudest thing in the city is quiet confidence – and no one carries that better than Dave.
Armani Exchange hit the streets this season with their FW25 collection, capturing the power of pop culture. A clash of classic tailoring with street-level energy. Working with Mediakeys, UNCLE took the campaign out of the studio and into the wild. Across the walls of London, vibrant neons stood against grey facades, turning concrete into canvas for A/X.
The Last Dinner Party have soared across stages and festivals in recent years, thanks to their lavish and dramatic sound. Following hotly in the heels of their award-winning debut album, the five piece have returned with album number two; Into The Pyre. In London, UNCLE and Island Records brought the baroque-rock world of the release to life. Mixing gothic romance with raw texture, the posters echoed the record’s themes of chaos, beauty and rebirth.
Footpatrol and Salomon have joined forces for the first time. Reimagining the XT4, the collaboration is more than just another colourway addition. Previewed at Paris Fashion Week, this release seamlessly blends Salomon’s rugged performance heritage with Footpatrol’s statement urban style. With launch parties across London and Paris, UNCLE made sure the silhouette was citywide. In monochromatic fashion, and featuring the XT4’s distinctive lines, both cities saw their walls go black and white – courtesy of UNCLE.
Robbie Williams was born to be an entertainer. Since 16, the popstar has been rocking stages worldwide and is showing no signs of slowing, having just announced his Long 90’s tour. UNCLE and Columbia Records took to Camden, around the same time Robbie performed an intimate one-off at Dingwall’s, to announce the tour. Featuring a painterly Robbie Williams in one of his iconic looks – his red tracksuit from Glastonbury 1995 – the paste-ups were adorned with a golden frame and showed an artist at the height of the Britpop era.
Drop everything. Victoria Beckham has just launched her latest makeup collection, The Foundation Drops, developed in partnership with Augustinus Bader. The new range blurs the lines between skincare and makeup, and marks a new standard in science-backed beauty. Targeting three of the world’s fashion capitals during their respective Fashion Weeks, it’s evident that this was going to be a campaign that stood out. Working directly with Victoria Beckham Beauty, UNCLE got to work activating each of these cities across a plethora of formats. In New York and London, custom newsboxes and newspapers asking readers to “DROP EVERYTHING” were created and handed out in the city streets. Meanwhile, in Paris, the same newspapers were distributed while an LED truck weaved its way through the Parisian streets, turning the heads of many. Tying them all together, the brand created three films which they posted on their socials; here, here and here.
Saucony is no stranger when it comes to crushing tarmac. Outside of designing high-performance footwear, the brand has now created East London’s newest closed-road race; Run Shoreditch 10k. UNCLE and Evolve hit the ground running on this with a location specific campaign built from B2s, 4 sheets and megasites.
Welcome to i-D’s Beta Issue, a tribute to the Generation Beta kids born in 2025. On the face of it, Paris Hilton. An icon who has long been seen as the face of a new millennium. To make a mark for Issue 375, UNCLE hit London hard with B2 blocks of it-girl Paris.
WINGS is the ultimate anthology of the band that defined the sound of the 1970s. Available in an impressive array of artistically curated formats, WINGS is a lovingly curated time capsule of imagery and music personally overseen by the man himself, Paul McCartney. Releasing in November, UNCLE worked with Universal Music to make some noise. With strong typography of song titles and the album name, and a fluorescent pink and green palette, this was a campaign designed to be seen. And sure enough it was, with the creative posted throughout the city streets of London, Manchester, Liverpool and Bristol, courtesy of UNCLE.
British accessories brand Radley has shoulder-tapped singer-songwriter Beka as the face of its AW25 collection. The brand, known for its leather-crafted bags of all sizes, sees the collaboration as a moment of transformation, rooted in a mutual respect for craft, imagination and storytelling. UNCLE welcomed the link-up to London, with a creative featuring Beka and her Romilly bag flyposted throughout the city. With an artful blur, the creative celebrates how fashion and music can echo one another.
Luxury department store Harvey Nichols is rolling out its AW campaign, just in time for London Fashion Week, with artist JackyBlue. In a bold approach to illustrate their latest wardrobe when it matters most, UNCLE paired up with Harvey Nichols to bring the expressive artwork to the streets of London across 4 sheets and megasites.
Soul-electronic collective Leisure, hailing from New Zealand, announced their fifth studio album earlier this month. Welcome To The Mood refines their soulful ethos into a new chapter rooted in togetherness, authenticity, humanity and creative celebration. To bring news to London, UNCLE worked with Nettwerk on a multi-format campaign designed to be seen. B2 blocks covered the walls of London, while chalk stencils lined the pavement, giving the new release a floor-to-wall coverage.
REOME hit the streets of London, putting their high-performance skincare in the spotlight. Paste-ups and B2s plastered with stark monochrome close-ups of a model, cream smeared across her skin, pots of product alongside her. The result: raw, striking and unmissable.
Subversive musicians and activists, Kneecap, are hitting up the Wembley OVO Arena in September. At a capacity of 12,500, it’s their biggest gig outside Ireland. True to the band’s passion for justice and refusal to toe the line, UNCLE pasted B2s and 4 Sheets across London, including on classic red telephone boxes. A middle finger to the establishment.
In our latest fly campaign, a lingerie-clad Doja Cat asks Londoners to ring the Vie Hotline, ‘if they’re the jealous type,’ by simply scanning the QR code on the poster. Known for pushing the boundaries between rap and pop, this interactive album launch showcases Doja at her playful, provocative best and highlights the creative possibilities of fly.
To tease their hotly anticipated comeback and sixth studio album, Florence and the Machine ran a dramatic two-part fly campaign across London. The first visual features Florence screaming into a hole in the ground, wearing a floaty red dress. The second is layered with gothic text that reads ‘Florence and the Machine Everybody Scream,’ in honour of the new single. It’s a quintessentially theatrical return to the spotlight for Florence that sent fans on a hunt across the city for the posters.
Cubitts, the eyewear brand transforming glasses into the trendiest accessory you can own, invited Londoners to see through their lens with a fresh campaign. The creative, with B2 blocks in two designs, showcases tortoiseshell glassware and its stylish wearer to illustrate that eyewear is about much more than improving vision.
Chappell’s late-summer ballad, The Subway, made the perfect subject for a city-wide fly takeover of London. The lyrics, which explore the emotions that surface when you bump into an ex on public transport, are a gritty and raw reflection of city life. With UNCLE scattering thousands of B2s across the city, it’s no surprise it shot straight to number 1.
To launch its new ‘Stack Curator‘, inviting people to curate their dream arrangement of ear piercing jewellery, Astrid & Miyu collaborated with UNCLE on a punchy flyposting campaign across London and Manchester. Known for its innovative and personalised approach to jewellery, Astrid & Miyu was founded in 2012 by Connie Nam who was tired of stale jewellery brands. With a set of B2s, 4 Sheet and megasites, the striking campaign featured a magnified ear decorated with an array of beautiful jewellery pieces that invited passersby by to get close and imagine what their ear stack could look like, sparking intrigue for this new tool.
MAC Cosmetics, known for serving face, made a bold entrance with their new glossy liner, Lipglazer, teaming up with Beauty Papers and UNCLE on a wildposting campaign in London and New York. The striking creative features a suggestive, part-open mouth being painted in Velvet Teddy, a pinkish mauve shade. Plastered across walls in both beauty capitals, the seductive full lip and luscious colour popped against the urban backdrop and beckoned passersby in for a kiss.
After the provocative artwork for Man’s Best Friend dropped, Sabrina Carpenter got everyone talking. In classic Sabrina style, her response flipped the narrative: a tongue-in-cheek London-wide flyposter campaign with UNCLE that sees her pose alongside a Golden Retriever puppy as a jokey reference to the original cover for ‘man’s best friend.’ We pasted B2s and 4 Sheets all across London, turning heads, sparking chatter online and creating buzz for the album.
To launch the innovative partnership between Zara Home and Collagerie, UNCLE ran a London flyposting campaign that showcased the vibrant designs of their new homewares collection on the streets. The collection sees the contemporary elegance of Zara Home merge with the craftsmanship of Collagerie. To celebrate, we pasted the city walls in sumptuous prints that turned heads and brightened the days of passersby.
Known for surprising customers with innovative drinks, Blank Street Coffee worked with UNCLE on a playful UK flyposting campaign to launch their new Salted Pistachio Matcha. The campaign certainly caught the attention of people in Manchester and London, with bold green set against sleek portrait photography, solidifying their reputation as the trendsetters when it comes to café culture.
Billie Eilish: Your Turn
There’s something in the air and it’s coming from the streets. Our recent campaign with Phoenix Beauty and Media Agency Group launched Your Turn, the perfume from global pop disruptor, Billie Eilish. The Hit Me Hard and Soft star – a trailblazer of dark and dreamy pop – is matched by this distinctive warm, woody scent.
With sultry monochromatic imagery of Eilish posed with loaded dice, UNCLE brought Lynchian drama to the streets of London and Manchester, stopping passersby in their tracks and daring them to take their turn.
With sultry monochromatic imagery of Eilish posed with loaded dice, UNCLE brought Lynchian drama to the streets of London and Manchester, stopping passersby in their tracks and daring them to take their turn.
Hugo x Slawn
Break the rules with HUGO x RB by Slawn, where HUGO’s signature tailoring meets Slawn’s street-art aesthetic. The result is a capsule of styles emblazoned with spray-painted motifs in Slawn’s signature caricaturistic style. UNCLE caused a welcome disruption in the streets to launch this one. Taking over London with a raw flyposting campaign, SLAWN’s bold spray-painted stroke felt right at home.
Self Space Social
Whether you’re keen to grow, connect or simply hit pause on life’s relentless pace, Self Space have got you. Having just launched Self Space Social, a new location for community and connection, UNCLE made the announcement. Blocks of pink, with illustrations of humans bettering themselves, were flyposted all throughout London – asking the streets for a bit of introspection.
BYOMA
Get to know your skin, up close and personal. BYOMA are skin barrier specialists. With a range of products available, to cover your whole routine, they are on a mission to simplify routines and build barriers (of only the good kind). UNCLE took over the streets with a variety of formats. Featuring in your face visuals, the campaign broke the fourth wall. Your skin needs you.
Kylie Minogue: Lovers
For all the lovers, this is for you. Australian pop star Kylie Minogue has introduced a new fragrance line, LOVERS. It’s a tribute to connection and love in its many forms – romantic, platonic and personal.
Through a blend of formats, a mirrored creative reflecting the two scents, and a targeted flyposting campaign across key London locations, UNCLE made sure it was love at first sight.
Travelling never looked better, thanks to Db Journey. Designed in Scandinavia but built for the journey, Db has been refining travel gear with intent. Outdoor functionality meets urban sophistication.
Through flyposting, UNCLE welcomed Db back to where it all took off – in the streets and parks of Stockholm. It didn’t stop there though; with a supportive wall-to-wall campaign across London. All thanks to fly.
Coming together with a common objective, Birkenstock and Maharishi have redefined the relationship between nature and technology with this one. Introducing the Mogami Terra Tech – a collection that merges Eastern and Western influences with a truly modern aesthetic. Through flyposting, UNCLE delivered news of this collaboration deep into the streets of where those who would listen, live – London and New York.
25 years ago Damon Alban’s Gorillaz stepped onto the scene, bringing with a collection a cartoon lore that has lasted the ages. Part of that lore is Kong, the band’s original home studio that sits atop a hill in Essex. Welcome to the House of Kong, an exhibition like no other as seen in blocks of fly all over London.
UNCLE went hand in hand with Bottega to celebrate 50 years of the iconic Intrecciato leather weave. We flyposted London from East to West with a poster campaign designed to connect people across all backgrounds, cultures and contexts. Monochromatic photography staged a dialogue between maker and wearer, hand and mind – and we did the rest.
SXSW London 2025
In 2024, SXSW expanded its global footprint from the Austin plains to the shores of Sydney. This year, SXSW touches down in East London and brings with it the convergence of creativity, culture and technology. UNCLE and Mother London collaborated on a flyposting campaign in the heart of where it is all happening – Shoreditch. Spotlighting the festival in a lime green takeover of our streets, the campaign gives passersby the chance to attend the inaugural SXSW London. Find the posters, take a picture; it’s as easy as that.
Polaroid: Flip
In a world so switched on, it’s nice to switch off. Introducing the Polaroid Flip. Built upon 80 years of Polaroid’s colourful past, the Flip is a camera designed for life’s best moments that can only be found in the real, physical and analogue world. UNCLE toured the UK on behalf of Ad Astra, wildposting the Flip into the streets of Birmingham, Bristol, London, Manchester and Sheffield. Instant photography > instant gratification.
Considered by many as the first of the festival season, GALA Festival is a warm welcome to the start of summer. Rooted in South London’s Peckham Rye Park, 2025 marks a decade for the independent festival. The artwork created for this milestone captured the essence of the festival, portraying people in their element, immersed in music, and highlighting the deep bonds and joy that define GALA. UNCLE brought this vision to life, with flyposting campaign throughout London, cherishing those special festival moments, and welcoming in another season of sound.
To celebrate the 50th year of Zara, Steven Meisel & co staged a film collaboration with 50 of the greatest models in the world – all in one room for the first time ever. Coinciding with a 128-piece collection, this is Zara’s biggest and most star-studded collaboration.
You only turn fifty once, so UNCLE went big. Taking the campaign to two of the world’s most fashion-forward cities; London and New York, we celebrated this milestone in all corners, with a wall-to-wall flyposting treatment.
VIEVE
The future of lip has landed. VIEVE knows all about making products that make you feel good, inside and out. Their latest product, Poutder, is on everyone’s lips at the moment, and it looks as good on you as it does in the streets. Featuring striking campaign photography, UNCLE and Excite took VIEVE and Poutder on a tour through London, with flyposters that will get you talking.
K-Way
Pull your hood up and brave it the K-Way. In 1965, on a rainy day in Paris, an idea was born that would revolutionise outerwear. That was just the start for K-Way. Some 60 years later, the brand is continuing to protect against the elements without compromising on style. We made a splash in the streets with technicolour takeover of wildposters in London. Don’t get caught in the rain.
When it comes to UK streetwear, it’s hard to ignore Corteiz. Fresh off the heels from previous collaborations with streetwear behemoth Nike, the two are back with another. Introducing the Corteiz x Air Max 95 Honey Blacks – soft but punchy, sweet but dangerous. We went all over the UK with this one, with blocks of yellow wildposters pollinating the streets in a masterclass collaboration.
i-D are always winking at us. Their latest edition of i-D mag featuring cover stars FKA Twigs, Naomi Campbell and it girl Enza. Always the hub of arts and culture we made sure London knew that too with blocks across the coolest neighbourhoods in the city.
Mantle
MANTLE blends the known-too-well Scandi minimalism with skincare innovation. The result is a curated collection of award-winning products, elevated by innovative ingredients. Featuring clean and clinical artwork, our citywide mantle of the brand went deep into the streets of London. Seen across B2s, takeovers and railing boards, the campaign glowed up the city where it mattered most – shining a light on the MANTLE range.
Nike x Slawn
The new Nike x Slawn collaboration is taking over London with an electrifying flyposting campaign, infusing the drop with raw street energy through a bold mix of speed, style, and statement—impossible to ignore. Building on this momentum, the second phase unleashes a striking takeover of East London, where towering megasites and bespoke graffiti push the limits of street culture and design. It’s a fearless fusion of art and sport – where raw creativity meets urban edge – creating an unmistakable aesthetic that embodies rebellion at its core.
Service95’s latest poster campaign transformed London’s streets into a dynamic storytelling space through strategic flyposting. By placing posters in high-visibility locations, the campaign ensured maximum engagement with passersby, leveraging the city’s energy to create buzz. The impact was further amplified by integrating digital content, extending the campaign’s reach beyond physical locations. This seamless combination of offline and online strategy reinforced Service95’s brand presence, demonstrating how well-placed street advertising can drive conversation.
