#MERKYFC
A new-age football club that gave young Black talent a way into the game off the pitch.
(CLIENT)
adidas
(YEAR)
2022
(MY ROLE)
Junior Strategist
(AGENCY)
The Midnight Club
It was 2022. Stormzy's contract with adidas was coming to a close, and nobody knew if he'd renew.
Big Mike wanted more from the partnership, and fair enough. adidas arguably weren’t heroing him in the way they should’ve done.
The question was whether they had anything bigger to offer.
Strategy.
Stormzy loves his football. He also loves supporting underprivileged people from diverse background. Recognising that, we opened our laptops and went looking for where the two things met.
What we found was staggering.
While 39% of Premier League players are of Black or mixed heritage, only 6.7% of senior off-pitch roles are held by people from the same backgrounds.
As Stormzy put it, "on the pitch, we do our thing. Off the pitch, it's like we don't exist."
So if he wanted more from adidas, the answer wasn't a bigger campaign. It was a bigger seat at the table, and a way to pull up a chair for everyone else too.
Creative.
Enter Merky FC, a football club designed to level the playing field in the beautiful game.
Launching with 11 industry partners, from Manchester United to Sky Sports, it offered paid placements and mentorships across marketing, operations, community and creative roles for 18-24-year-olds.
Years on, Big Mike's love story with adidas is still going.
CEO & Creative: Ben Moutrie
Strategy: Rory Morrin
