Adidas Soccer
We Launched adidas Tango League - a street soccer platform that heroizes young athletes and local creators to redefine the sport in North America and grow a global community.
DIGGING IN
With soccer’s popularity suffering in North America, I took a deep dive to learn why. Talking to coaches, players, parents and brands, it became clear that because soccer only existed on grass fields in the suburbs and under a “pay to play” model, access to the sport was limited. And these factors only existed here in North America.
But the challenge was greater than just access. We needed to create new relevance for the game. And so the objective became to create a platform that would attract new talent by intersecting the sport with cultural creators in key cities across the country.
TANGO LEAGUE
We launched adidas Tango League across North America by cross-pollinating sport with cultural pillars of music, art & fashion, and hosting a multi-year series of experiences in NYC, LA and Toronto. Every event featured up and coming local creators who were handpicked to elevate the experience surrounding tournament play and to drive content creation.
For every event, I built a unique experience journey for players and fans alike that would extend far beyond the events and into the digital space. The goal was to create a long-term platform for North American players to reach the highest levels of the game, while building a global community that extended online through content.
THE RESULTS
At each event, the Tango community grew and what started at a local level became a global movement. Our recipe for these experiences in North America was replicated by adidas’ markets across the globe.