Church's Fall 2026 Ad Campaign

Church’s Takes Theo James to the Track for Fall 2026

Review of Church’s Fall 2026 Ad Campaign by Creative Director David James with Photographer Samuel Bradley with model Theo James

Church’s brings its English shoemaking heritage to the racetrack in a campaign that trades formality for a more relaxed kind of refinement, starring Theo James and photographed by Samuel Bradley under the creative direction of David James. Set at the Goodwood Racing Circuit in West Sussex, the story follows James through a day of vintage cars, impromptu picnics, unexpected encounters, and podium celebrations. It is, in other words, a very English day out—with considerably better footwear.

The campaign opens in the pit lane, where James wears the soft-grain tan Sidley boot before push-starting a vintage Aston Martin in the Sidbury suede Derby. From there, the narrative moves between the racetrack and its surrounding rituals, introducing the new Skipton Oxford during a trackside picnic and the Stanhope Chelsea boot in an unexpectedly casual moment at the starting grid. The Farsley penny loafer carries James through the afternoon, including an encounter with Betty, a Great Dane who becomes perhaps the campaign’s most charmingly unpredictable accessory.

Bradley’s imagery gives the story a sense of movement without pushing too hard for spectacle. The racing circuit provides a distinctly British backdrop, but the campaign is less interested in the drama of the race itself than in the social rituals around it: dressing for the occasion, gathering outdoors, driving something with a little history, and finding moments of leisure between events. That decision allows the shoes to function naturally within the narrative rather than feeling like props placed into a carefully constructed fashion tableau.

The campaign is strongest when it allows Church’s craftsmanship to meet this looseness. The new New Formal group is positioned around an idea of contemporary refinement that feels less prescriptive than traditional formalwear, with Oxfords, Derbies, Chelsea boots, and penny loafers designed to move across different settings. The campaign makes a persuasive case for that versatility by showing the same wardrobe language adapting to the pit lane, picnic, starting grid, and podium.

There is also a quiet intelligence in choosing Theo James as the campaign’s central figure. His presence carries the polish expected of a heritage English shoemaker, while the narrative gives him enough room to appear playful and unguarded. The result avoids the stiffness that can sometimes accompany campaigns built around traditional craft, instead suggesting that heritage is most convincing when it knows how to relax.

Still, the campaign occasionally leans so comfortably into its Englishness that its visual vocabulary feels familiar. Vintage cars, country leisure, racing, champagne, and a handsome man in excellent shoes are hardly unexplored territory. Yet Church’s finds a degree of freshness by keeping the tone knowingly light, particularly through the unexpected appearance of Betty and the slightly absurd progression toward the podium. The humor is understated rather than announced, which feels appropriately Church’s.

Ultimately, the Fall 2026 campaign succeeds by understanding that modern formality is less about dressing for one occasion than having the right shoes for whatever happens next. At Church’s, apparently, that could mean a race, a picnic, or a Great Dane—and the footwear is prepared for all three.