Dick’s Sporting Goods and Adidas’ World Cup campaign “marks their biggest push yet” as the brands are releasing “Where It All Kicks Off,” an effort “designed to tap into soccer fever and get fans into Dick’s retail stores,” according to Adrianne Pasquarelli of AD AGE. Dick’s Sporting Goods VP/Brand Marketing Melissa Christian said, “This will be our largest partnership together by a significant amount.” The 90-second ad features athletes including Argentina F Lionel Messi, Spain F Lamine Yamal, NWSL Washington Spirit F Trinity Rodman, Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes and his wife Brittany. The brands worked with OBB Media’s OBB Bolded on the creative, while Publicis handled media duties. The full ad began running online on Tuesday. Shorter versions “focused on individual athletes will begin airing on linear and connected TV later this week.” The campaign includes “out-of-home placements and in-store digital signage, as well as more than 25 events and activations.” An Adidas van will “visit certain Dick’s stores and offer customization options for apparel and accessories.” The push follows Adidas’ own World Cup campaign “Backyard Legends,” which was handled by Lola USA and stars Messi, Yamal and Rodman alongside actor Timothée Chalamet and others such as musician Bad Bunny (AD AGE, 6/9).
FOR THE KIDS: FOOTWEAR NEWS’ Stephen Garner noted The Dick’s Sporting Goods Foundation is partnering with DonorsChoose to “expand access to the game at the grassroots level,” funding up to $250,000 in youth soccer projects nationwide. Through an open call for “historically underfunded schools,” the initiative aims to “ensure more young athletes have the resources they need to play, with DonorsChoose fulfilling projects on a first-come basis until the funds are fully allocated.” Beginning June 11, teachers at eligible schools will be able to “submit funding requests for boys’ and girls’ soccer programs” (FOOTWEAR NEWS, 6/9).
ADDING A TWIST: ANDSCAPE’s Vinciane Ngomsi reported Nike is “pushing the limits of match-day gear into a broader cultural system” as the brand prepares to support 12 national teams in the World Cup. Unveiled last week in N.Y., the X2 collection, dropping globally on June 16, “extends beyond home and away jerseys to include anthem jackets, pre-match lifestyle pieces, and sneakers designed in collaboration with local creatives and meant to exist outside the 90 minutes of play.” Nike’s X2 initiative offers a “unique example of how soccer apparel is increasingly being treated as a cultural platform, not just an on-field product.” Nike paired seven federations with seven collaborators: NOCTA for Canada, Palace for England, Jacquemus for France, Patta for the Netherlands, Slawn for Nigeria, Peaceminusone for South Korea and the Virgil Abloh Archive for the U.S. (ANDSCAPE, 6/9).
