Company / Ad Campaign Background: 
Dick’s Sporting Goods is a sporting goods retail store with an online and in-store presence. Founded in 1948 by Richard “Dick” Stack with the $300 his grandmother gave him, Dick’s started as a bait-and-tackle shop (“About Us, n.d.)  and years later, is now recognized on the Fortune 500 list (Fortune, n.d.). Dick’s products range from various sporting equipment to sport-related footwear and clothing items, allowing guests to shop for all of their athletic needs in one place. But Dick’s Sporting Goods has a problem: There is a lack of brand awareness and overall understanding of the products Dick’s offers within the Gen Z demographic. 

Rather than just announcing Dick’s new mobile activation, the Foot Locker sneaker truck, this ad campaign is going to make waves and take a mobile activation and turn it into an experience. 

Inspired by the recent success of the Costco x Nike limited-edition shoe collaboration (Chu, 2026), this ad campaign will tease the new limited-edition collaboration between Dicks and Adidas, giving concert-goers, sports fanatics, and festival lovers the opportunity to get their hands on a new and exclusive sneaker. 

Who is the target audience? 
The target audience for this campaign is Gen Z (ages 14-29), who are continuing to be industry leaders when it comes to prioritizing spending their money on experiences above material consumption (Filatov, 2026). That is until it comes to the possibility of getting their hands on a “limited edition” item. “Limited edition sneakers and streetwear drops sell out 70% faster than standard product lines” (“Top 20”, 2025) and “Gen Z shoppers are drawn to exclusivity, with 41% saying it’s a major factor in their purchase decisions” (“Top 20”, 2025). This Dicks x Adidas collaboration will not only generate more brand awareness, but also allow Gen Z to take part in an exclusive experience with the possibility of obtaining a limited edition item provided by Dick’s Sporting Goods. 

Where will these ads appear?  
Because this campaign is focussing on generating brand awareness and excitement about the new collaboration pre-launch, these ads will appear on bus shelters, billboards, and bulletin boards around major cities that will be hosting the major festivals and sporting events (ex: Chicago for Lollapalooza, Los Angeles for the FIFA World Cup, etc.). These ads will have the ability to reach a larger audience when strategically placed within busy areas (ex: near college campuses, next to the freeway, etc.), allowing for various audience groups to become aware of the campaign and also start to build better brand recognition in the process.    

Understanding that social media will play a major role in the advertisement of this campaign after the announcement on July 4th, I added a mock up example below of a potential social media post that could be used to gain more attention and curiosity around where the Foot Locker sneaker truck is currently located, further gaining the attention of Gen Z through social media post-launch.  

What is the goal? 
The goal of these ads is to increase brand awareness within Gen Z about Dick’s Sporting Goods and the trendy offerings they provide. This is done in the hopes of occupying brain space in consumers’ minds with the goal of seeing an increase in social media and in-person engagement, as well as an increase in overall purchasing behavior in-store and online. 

What is the current perception of the brand vs the desired perception of the brand? 
Current perception: Dick’s is a corporate general sporting goods store that you can buy your sporting equipment from if you cannot purchase it online.  

Today, Dick’s is seen as a large corporation in your local neighborhood that is only thought about when you need to purchase something and cannot find it online. Dick’s currently has minimal connection to Gen Z. 

Desired perception: Dick’s is your go-to corporation to shop for all your sports equipment, clothing, and footwear whether that is in-person or online. Although Dick’s is a corporation, they take vocal positions on important social issues that align with my values while providing stylish options for individuals of all ages, making me more inclined to support the company overall. 

Dick’s has now transformed in the eyes of the public as a socially conscious and “cool” brand that partners with other companies to provide consumers with popular styles of clothing and footwear as well as unique opportunities at events around the country.

Why do we need these ads? 
We need these ads because the footwear market is continuing to get more saturated, and Dick’s Sporting Goods needs to leverage their new acquisition (Foot Locker) and exclusive collaboration with Adidas to break through the noise and remind consumers that Dick’s Sporting Goods is your go-to store to shop for trendy items in-store and online. “57% of Gen Z see shopping in-person as an experience” (“How gen”, 2025) and these ads demonstrate that Dick’s hears and sees Gen Z by positioning themselves as what they need: a socially responsible, culturally literate, trend forward company that actually listens, as demonstrated through this new in-person activation experience and simple, yet intriguing, ad campaign.