How adidas Brought the World Cup to the Neighborhood with The Bernard Group
The FIFA World Cup is more than a tournament; it’s a global phenomenon. It’s defined by those electric, breathless moments when the entire world stops to watch a single play, and everyone is glued to the screen.
When adidas partnered with The Bernard Group, our challenge wasn’t just to celebrate the scale of the World Cup—it was to translate that massive stadium energy into intimate, daily, fan-first experiences. We wanted to celebrate the unique identity of each competing team while uniting a highly diverse fan base across North America’s host cities.
Our guiding philosophy? Good design naturally creates community. Here is an inside look at how our multidisciplinary teams brought this vision to life, from initial concept to digital motion and retail execution.
📰 The Blueprint: Bodegas, Newsstands, and Neighborhood Nostalgia
To bring global soccer culture to life on a local level, the design team looked to the heart of the community: small-town gathering places.
“There’s something deeply nostalgic about how a headline on a neighborhood newsstand can unite an entire community,” notes Joe Vainikka, “That connection became our blueprint.”
We anchored our retail activations in the warmth of classic bodegas and newsstands. We designed these spaces with a sense of heritage, crafted to feel as though they have stood the test of time. To tap into the inner child of every fan, we also introduced an oversized mini-ball dispenser, providing a tangible, nostalgic moment that brought a sense of pure play back to the soccer experience.
🎬 Bringing the Energy Through Motion
Physical structures tell half the story—motion tells the rest. To truly capture the pulse of the tournament, our VMG (Video Motion Graphics) Team, led by Duncan York, Andrew Nosal, Reed Theship Rosales, and Sara Nyhus, stepped in to bring the displays to life.
The VMG team channeled the relentless energy of the adidas brand and the pure excitement of the fans into digital content that augmented the already amazing physical designs. Utilizing team photos, athlete videos, and custom-made animations, they programmed content for every single screen featured across the displays.
Beyond creating the on-screen magic, the VMG team was on the ground to capture the final results—shooting the high-energy images and videos of the completed displays that allowed the rest of the world to experience the activation.
📐 From 3D Concept to 2D Reality
While the 3D design and motion graphics shaped the environment, a massive undertaking was required to bring those concepts into the physical print world.
Elle Fitzpatrick and the graphic design team stepped in to handle the critical 2D artwork and production files that clothed the physical structures. But the World Cup takeover didn’t stop at the storefront.
“Outside of print artwork for the in-store experiences, another example of the World Cup takeover was how it became a key part of the adidas Atticus box,” says Elle. “This was where I was really able to help with design creation, folding the thrill of the World Cup into various training materials and resources for the adidas retail teams.”
⚽️ Suiting Up for the Win
A project of this scale requires every department—spatial design, video motion graphics, and print production—to sync perfectly. From the big-picture experiential strategy to the final frame of an animation and the fold of a retail training manual, the TBG team stepped up to the plate.
We are incredibly proud to partner with a brand like adidas that values community as much as we do. It’s been an unforgettable ride, and we’re thrilled to have suited up in our jerseys to help bring this project across the finish line.