A three-part cultural campaign connecting DICK'S Sporting Goods to the fastest-growing sports consumer in America through serialized entertainment, a commemorative jersey, and live community activation. Before the world arrives in 2026, be the brand already woven into the story.
DICK'S Sporting Goods is the official retail partner of US Soccer, MLS, and Team USA. They launched a production studio with two Emmys. They're pushing soccer harder than any category in 2026. But they have no cultural connection to the community that actually lives and breathes the sport.
DICK'S is the official sporting goods store of US Soccer, but not the store where a Mexican American family in Houston buys their kid's cleats and their dad's Chivas jersey. JCPenney already launched the first branded micro drama with TelevisaUnivision. Nike runs clinics in Latino neighborhoods. Adidas is spending $500M+ on World Cup marketing. DICK'S has the infrastructure, the budget, and the Emmy-winning studio. What they don't have is a cultural bridge. That's what this campaign builds.
This is not a media buy. It's a cultural campaign that lives at the intersection of entertainment, retail, and community activation. Each phase builds on the last.
"El Barrio FC" — an 8-episode scripted vertical series. Emotional storytelling that builds brand love before asking for a purchase.
"LA 2026" commemorative jersey born inside the series, sold exclusively at select SoCal DICK'S locations tied to the neighborhoods in the story.
"Barrio to Mundial" community tournament. Jersey reveal. Cast appearances. The digital world becomes physical at the same parks from the series.
"Most brands will activate around 2026 with global messaging. This positions DICK'S as the brand that invested in Los Angeles neighborhoods before the spotlight arrived."
Tone inspired by Club de Cuervos, grounded in LA public school reality. This is not polished suburban club soccer. This is South LA. East LA. Oxnard. Boyle Heights. Where real culture lives.
Short-form vertical drama built for TikTok, Instagram Reels, and YouTube Shorts. Cliffhangers drive viewers to Cuéntalo for extended cuts, character backstories, and alternate scenes.
Every episode is built around conflict and identity. The stories are specific to the Latino soccer experience but universal in emotional truth.
DICK'S is positioned as the enabler of belief. The brand that invests in real communities before the world arrives in 2026. No hard selling. Just realism.
Episodes launch on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube Shorts. Cliffhangers redirect audiences to Cuéntalo, where deeper narrative and exclusive content live. Each episode becomes: Story IP + Community engagement + Commerce pathway. The turning point in the series is the jersey reveal. The team qualifies for a major local tournament. They unveil a new kit. That kit becomes real.
One limited edition jersey. Designed to immortalize the moment FIFA World Cup 2026 is played in Los Angeles at SoFi Stadium while celebrating the Latino culture that fuels the game in this city year-round. This is not tournament merchandise. It is a timestamp in history.
"The same jersey worn in the series becomes available exclusively at select Southern California DICK'S locations tied to the neighborhoods represented in the story. Fans move from viewer to owner. They are not just buying apparel. They are wearing the story."
The jersey launch culminates in a live hyper-local activation. The digital world becomes physical. DICK'S becomes the brand physically present where culture lives, not just advertising to it.
Community teams compete on the same fields from the series
Live unveil moment, on-site customization station
Actors from El Barrio FC meet the community
Neighborhood vendors, panaderías, authentic LA culture
LA Latino culture soundtrack, energy, celebration
Drive attendees to Cuéntalo for exclusive content
Modeled after the Goorin Hats partnership. A community give-back layer built into the campaign. Portion of jersey proceeds fund youth soccer equipment and field access in underserved neighborhoods.
A celebrity component brings built-in fan energy and amplification. Level of talent (potentially Diego or other high-profile names) depends on budget allocation for a fully layered campaign.
This is not one-dimensional. Culture, commerce, and community working together. Each phase earns the audience for the next.
Micro drama completion rates hit 94% (vs. 20-40% for standard pre-roll). The US micro drama market is $819M in 2024, projected to $3.8B by 2030. JCPenney already proved the branded micro drama model with TelevisaUnivision.
DICK'S already produces Emmy-winning branded content through Cookie Jar & A Dream Studios. They understand entertainment. They just haven't applied it to this audience or this format.
Cookie Jar & A Dream Studios (2 Emmys). GameChanger (9M games/year, 1M+ teams). DICK'S Media Network (45M addressable athletes + Roku). 850+ stores for foot traffic attribution. $100M+ community investment track record.
Zero Spanish-language campaigns. Zero Latino athlete ambassadors. No Liga MX activations. No bilingual programming. Their soccer strategy serves suburban travel soccer. The informal liga ecosystem (millions of Latinos every weekend) has no digital home, and DICK'S has no presence there.
FIFA World Cup at SoFi Stadium (June 2026). LA Olympics at the Rose Bowl (2028). $3.75B in brand soccer spend flowing in. DICK'S is already an LA28 Team USA retail partner. This campaign activates that partnership at the community level.
Cuéntalo is a culture-native production partner purpose-built for the Latino market. Not a general agency. Not a translator. Built by operators who've already done this.
Built a Latino-rooted CPG brand from zero to 90+ retail locations. Orchestrated marquee athlete crossover campaigns at championship scale. Former WME, NIL division. Knows brand deals, athlete partnerships, and Latino consumer products inside and out.
Co-Founder of DSTRO7, the boutique distribution company behind Del Records and Eslabon Armado. Led "Ella Baila Sola" to 1B+ Spotify streams. Former SVP Digital Monetization at Del Records. Knows how to monetize Latino audiences at scale.
"We don't pitch cultural campaigns from the outside. We've built and monetized inside this community for 20+ years. That's the difference between a translated ad and an authentic story."
Concept presentation, budget alignment, partnership agreement. Identify celebrity talent and production team.
Casting, location scouting (real LA neighborhoods), jersey design development, community voting launch on Cuéntalo, nonprofit structure finalized.
Shoot 8 episodes. Coincides with World Cup buzz arriving in LA. Capitalize on heightened soccer cultural energy.
Edit, color, sound design. Finalize jersey production. Build Cuéntalo content ecosystem (backstories, extended cuts, community voting results).
Episodes roll out across TikTok, Reels, Shorts. Jersey available at select SoCal DICK'S. Paid amplification begins.
Community tournament, jersey reveal moment, cast meet-and-greet, local vendors, QR-to-Cuéntalo stations. The story comes to life.
Season 2 greenlight. Expand to additional DICK'S markets. Build toward LA Olympics activation. DICK'S is woven into the story before the world arrives.
When FIFA reaches SoFi Stadium, DICK'S should already be woven into the story of the city. Del Barrio Al Mundial makes that happen through entertainment, commerce, and community.