From pitch to pitch: New memoir reveals how former Leeds United casual grew from brawling teen to branding machine

Julian Kynaston, founder of award-winning Northern brand consultancy Propaganda, has released his debut book, telling his story from his misspent youth as a Leeds United football casual to the probably less violent, but equally energetic, decades he’s spent leading the consultancy.

Having been at the helm of Propaganda for over 30 years, Kynaston has spearheaded the creation and transformation of some of the UK’s biggest brands such as ghd, Clipper Logistics (now GXO), Illasmasqua beauty and CLOUD NINE.

In Brand Warfare Julian shares not only his unique journey, but how Propaganda evolved from a fledgling branding agency, to the “first planning-led agency outside of London,” to the boundary-pushing brand consultancy it is today.

Blending sharp business insight with a raw and compelling personal journey, Kynaston explores how the lessons of his youth in the designer-label-obsessed, high-stakes world of 1980s football casuals shaped his approach to brand strategy and success and why, despite his early pitch-side excursions in Leeds, he refuses to pitch in the branding world.

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In the book, he shares the stories behind some of the UK’s most recognisable consumer brands from ghd to CLOUD NINE to Illamasqua. He also takes us behind the scenes of B2B game-changers like Clipper who pioneered a new vision of logistics for the likes of John Lewis and Arcadia Group, and GenM whose innovative menopause-friendly MTick is transforming menopause retail for national chains like Boots, Morrisons and Tesco.

Crucially, Brand Warfare explores how your experiences in life (whatever they are) prime you for the world of business. For Kynaston, his youth in the violent world of football casuals gave him an unexpected lesson in the value of brands – his description of owning his first ever Armani sweater borders on a religious experience – the importance of perception (being seen as tough was a matter of safety as much as pride) and the power of standing your ground.

Kynaston said of his opus: “Brand Warfare is the story of my unconventional entry into the agency scene. It pulls no punches [and is] essential reading for anyone suffering with imposter syndrome.”

Part memoir, part brand strategy manifesto, Brand Warfare is available now from bookshops and on Amazon.