JD Sports Drops 2025 Christmas Campaign ‘Where Are You Go…

At first glance, it might not seem like R&B singer PANIA, NRL players Kalyn Ponga and Brian To’o, boxer Jai Opetaia, collective founder Nick Kalule, and influencer Ella Christo have much in common.

But look a little closer, and what emerges is a shared drive to excel at the highest level in their fields. For example, PANIA has emerged as one of the country’s most promising R&B exports; Kalyn Ponga earned the NRL’s highest individual honour, the Dally M Medal, in 2023; Jai Opetaia remains the youngest Australian boxer ever to qualify for the Olympics; Nick Kalule has collaborated with global names like Clint419; and Ella Christo has built an audience of over four million followers across her platforms.

Though each has already reached remarkable heights, they also all share a clear vision of their future. That forward focus sits at the heart of JD Sports’ 2025 Christmas campaign, Where Are You Going?

Every year, JD Sports’ global Christmas campaign lands as a cultural moment—one that’s highly anticipated and always star-studded. In recent years, the brand has tapped some of the biggest names in British culture, including Central Cee, Maya Jama, Kano, and Amelia Dimoldenberg. This year is no less celebrity-packed, but it’s also JD’s largest-scale campaign yet—and perhaps its most meaningful, following the launch of the Forever Forward movement in May, which centres and celebrates young people.

Where Are You Going? hands creative control over to young people to tell their story through their lens. The film features individuals each capturing their lives through their phones—unfiltered and real—while exploring where they’re at, and where they’re going.

The global cast includes some of the biggest names in sport and music, among them UK rapper Nemzzz, UFC star Paddy “The Baddy” Pimblett, and Arsenal’s Myles Lewis-Skelly. But the inclusion of Australian talent in this year’s film—who bring their own perspectives to the question at the heart of the campaign—adds a distinct local voice that sets it apart.

Every story in the campaign began with that same question: Where are you going?

Speaking to PANIA about where she’s going, she’s laser-focused on taking her music and art to the global stage. “That’s always been the vision… I’m hoping to tour with an artist across America and Europe next year, while expanding my fanbase and connecting with people worldwide.”

When asked what progress looks like to her, she compares it to climbing through a mountain range: “It’s full of highs and lows, but every step takes you higher than the last.”

For Ella Christo, where she’s going “feels less like a destination and more like a commitment to myself. [There’s] not necessarily a finish line—but my constant urge to keep creating, evolving, and staying true to my sense of self and my craft.”

At times, the pace of it all can be overwhelming, but she’s learned to come back to herself when things get loud. “When life or work gets loud, I retreat a little. Walking my dog Sheeba on the beach, sitting and listening to birds chirping or waves crashing—just sitting in silence and being alone with my thoughts is my reset.”

For Australian boxer Jai Opetaia, the path forward is all about becoming an undisputed champion. In boxing, ‘undisputed’ means holding all four major world titles in a weight division. Jai currently holds the IBF title and the highly respected Ring Magazine belt, and his ultimate goal is to collect the remaining major belts to achieve undisputed status.

“Undisputed, that’s where we’re going. Once we get there we set our next goal. Right now we chase the belts… then we move forward to whatever is next,” he says.

Jai’s goal requires intense levels of effort and determination, and when asked how he stays inspired when things get tough, he’s unflinching: “I just keep pushing and chase the pain. What else am I going to do when things get tough? I won’t sit and let it overcome me. I stay on track and keep my end goal in mind.”

At this stage in his life, Newcastle Knights player Kalyn Ponga defines where he’s going through progress.“Right now, my focus is on fully maximizing my pre-season with the Knights. In many ways, progress here is about simplifying the process, getting the most out of myself through not only effort but balance.” He knows exactly what he wants to achieve in his career, and his approach is “embracing what needs to be done to get there.” But progression for Kalyn also extends beyond football, it’s also about “paying attention to things that help me improve that aren’t football specific, such as gratitude and being present.”

When asked about his goals for 2026, “[playing] good football” is still at the top of the list, but it sits among “good friends and good times.”

For the campaign, JD also tapped rising Australian talent, including the founder of collective Faucet Failure Nick Kalule, who recently crossed paths with UK streetwear powerhouse Clint149 in Sydney. Collaborating with JD was particularly meaningful for Nick, as someone who used to work on the shop floor. “I worked at JD as a sales assistant when I was younger, so to be a part of a global JD campaign alongside friends who I’ve built this brand with brick by brick—it shows growth.”

In terms of where he’s going—he’s open to Faucet Failure’s growth in whatever form it takes. “I started the collective in 2022, since day one I believed and knew Faucet Failure would be a name in conversations all over the world.“The sky’s the limit, only God knows what we will achieve, the key is to take things step by step, understand the vision, and roll with the punches.”

You can watch JD Sport’s latest campaign here: