Adidas
adidas Football Collective
Promote an inclusive and social dynamic around football by providing access to fields and equipment for young people, while strengthening Adidas' street credibility in urban areas.
Strategic challenges:
Football, the ultimate unifying sport, faces several barriers to participation, especially in working-class neighborhoods and due to gender-based discrimination. The pandemic has worsened the difficulties in accessing fields and practicing football, particularly for young people, with limited access to facilities and the high cost of licenses. Furthermore, the end of mixed-gender teams at age 12 in clubs is a major obstacle to women's participation.
Response:
In response to this situation, adidas is launching the adidas Football Collective (aFC) program, aimed at creating a network of organizations to make football more inclusive, coed, and accessible to all. The program provides financial, material, and strategic support to grassroots collectives, while strengthening the management and leadership capabilities of partner organizations.
We have envisioned the aFC Dayz, semi-annual events bringing together collectives around the theme of social innovation in sport. These events highlight exemplary actions and encourage exchanges between collectives. Additionally, a Discord server has been created to bring together an online community, facilitate communication, and provide resources to the program's participants.
adidas has provided two football fields in Greater Paris and Roissy-en-Brie, and supported local initiatives with over €120,000 distributed to six collectives, impacting more than 8,000 beneficiaries. The program has also distributed 2,500 pieces of equipment and provided over 15,000 hours of training, 56% of which were specifically dedicated to women's football. The program is designed for the long term, with ongoing actions, including expansion to other collectives and the support of ambassadors such as Paul Pogba, Selma Bacha, and Zinedine Zidane.
The media coverage has also been significant, with strong visibility through content on platforms such as Clique, Brut, and Booska P, as well as micro-influencer actions that generated over 1 million views.
This program has allowed adidas to strengthen its social commitment, connect the brand with younger generations, and solidify its position as a leader in the world of inclusive and supportive football.
The case in video :