Spike Lee fronts Arsenal launch film for Airwallex

Arsenal and Airwallex have launched a short film directed by Spike Lee as part of their partnership, using a creative format designed to cut through with supporters and position the sponsor as more than perimeter-board inventory.The film, titled Who Are Ya?, is set in a pub-style environment and leans into matchday debate culture, before pivoting into the language of finance and football economics. The creative links the way fans talk about tactics and transfers with the way they increasingly talk about money, deals and regulations.The approach reflects a wider shift in sponsorship activation, where brands are judged less on visibility and more on whether they can earn attention and cultural relevance with a club’s core audience. Arsenal are also signalling that they want partner launches to feel like club content rather than advertising.Lee said: “I’ve been riding with Arsenal for years – it started with Thierry. But what really stayed with me is what the club stands for, its history, its culture, the way it reflects the world beyond the pitch. With Who Are Ya?, I wanted to capture that real supporter energy, the passion, the debates, the humour.“Fans today don’t just follow the game, they understand everything around it too. Bringing Airwallex into that conversation felt natural, because the film plays on how fans now talk about the business side of football just as much as what happens on the pitch. This film is about that voice, that culture, and that community.”The cast is built to appeal across generations of Arsenal supporters and beyond football, blending club heritage, current first-team presence and recognisable screen talent. Appearances include Thierry Henry and Rachel Yankey alongside Martin Keown, plus actors Aaron Pierre and Jasmine Jobson.Arsenal players Kai Havertz, Gabriel Magalhães and Viktor Gyökeres also feature, giving the campaign immediate relevance for the current fan conversation cycle. The blend is a common brand tactic, pairing legacy credibility with present-day squad visibility to maximise social sharing and earned media.Airwallex’s global creative director Matt Jennings positioned the campaign as a deliberate attempt to introduce the brand in a way that acknowledges low baseline awareness among Arsenal supporters. He said: “Let’s be honest – most Arsenal supporters haven’t heard of Airwallex, and we didn’t want to be a random logo on a perimeter board, so we decided to introduce our Arsenal partnership in a way supporters couldn’t ignore.“Football isn’t just 90 minutes on the pitch – it’s the talk about money, business, and tactics that happen at the pub every week. We hope our film brings those conversations to life in an entertaining way, and ensures no Arsenal fan will ever have to ask, ‘Air-who?’”Arsenal’s chief commercial officer Juliet Slot positionedthe launch as an example of partnerships that focus on bringing supporters closer rather than simply delivering exposure. Slot said: “Our partnerships are at their best when, together with partners like Airwallex, we lift our supporters and bring them closer to us. "Who Are Ya? is a celebration of the incredible passion of our community, and how we can use our shared platforms to connect us wherever we are in the world. We love Spike’s passion and understanding for our club which shines through our film.”The campaign sets a benchmark for how Arsenal may want future partner launches to behave, with a focus on culturally credible creative, recognisable talent and content formats that can travel globally. It also gives the club another premium example to sell internally and externally, showing how partner value can be created through storytelling rather than additional inventory.