ATXFC SAMBA

Austin FC x Adidas Originals

Creative Direction + Design

THE ASK: Launch Austin FC's first-ever footwear collection with Adidas, creating meaningful buzz in a competitive market.

THE IDEA: An Austin-centric twist on the classic "making of" video that celebrates the city's obsessions: food and football. Our concept reimagined the Austin FC Samba creation process through the lens of local cuisine—Q2 Stadium grass simmered in Barton Springs water, tossed with fresh live oak leaves, all "prepared" by renowned sushi chef Yoshi Okai for an intimate gathering of iconic Austin female musicians. This playful narrative merged two cultural pillars of Austin into one unforgettable story.

THE EXECUTION:

Pre-Launch Buzz: Hosted an exclusive shoe preview activation at Otoko, Austin's acclaimed sushi destination, creating an intimate brand experience that reinforced our food-meets-football narrative.
Content Strategy: Developed a series of quirky teaser content designed to build anticipation and intrigue across social channels.
Launch Day: Released the hero video and supporting imagery, coordinated with collaborative posts from Adidas Soccer to maximize reach and engagement.

THE RESULT:

Immediate sellout at Austin FC's physical retail location within minutes

Strong performance across MLS and Adidas online stores
Earned media coverage from major outlets including Hypebeast, Nice Kicks, and prominent local media
Successfully established Austin FC as a credible player in the lifestyle footwear space

TEASER 1 - FISH
Released one week out from the shoe release. This teaser was the highest performing merch teaser in Austin FC History.

VIP PREVIEW EVENT @ OTOKO

We dropped an invite 3 days before the shoe was released to the public to Adidas Austin FC Athletes, Austin Influencers, Media, and Adiclub Members for a special Austin FC x Adidas dining experience with Austin Sushi Chef Yoshi Okai. Attendees were able to order a special Austin FC Themed Cocktail, get a specially made Sushi, glass of Sake and pick up their Sambas.