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Reebok

Who gets to shape a Reebok partnership?

Services

Brand strategy · Community partnerships · Creator programs

LinksOriginal story ↗
Red Reebok sneakers on a display shelf

Overview

At Brandweek, we put Reebok, the Atlanta Dream, and Dream forward Naz Hillmon on the same stage. Each had a different answer to the question that mattered: who gets a say while the idea is still taking shape?

Program scope

Partnership
18 months
Activations
10+
Creators activated
4,000+

How we built the room

Give the product a place in the story

In the installation, Reebok footage played on stacked televisions. Nearby, red and white sneakers sat under lights. A creator could walk through the room and see the connection between the footage and the shoe. That gave the product a history people could see for themselves.

Give the athlete a seat at the concept stage

When Brandweek asked us to curate a panel, we chose participants by the decisions they could speak to. Connor Thompson brought the brand’s perspective. Shayne Odum could explain how the Dream evaluates a partner. Naz Hillmon could say whether an idea felt credible to the athlete expected to carry it. LaTecia moderated.

Four panelists on stage at Brandweek.
The Brandweek conversation brought INGENIUS, Reebok, and the Atlanta Dream together to discuss athlete-led partnerships.

Build continuity across appearances

Mansion parties, creator pop-ups, SXSW activations, and Brandweek gave Reebok different ways to show up. A pop-up puts the product in someone’s hands. A panel lets an athlete explain what makes a partnership worth entering. Across 18 months and 10+ activations, the partnership activated more than 4,000 creators.

Black-and-white portrait of a man in a Reebok jerseyTwo women wearing Reebok sneakers on an outdoor running trackA stack of TVs playing Reebok footageClassics Club in red neon
From the playbook

Who is in the room before the brief is finished?

That is the question we would take into the next partnership. Bring the athlete in early enough to change the idea, give the team room to protect its community’s trust, and agree with the brand on what success will look like.

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