Creative Brief
Who is the target audience?
Primary: Gen Z Event Goers (16–25) event-goers, festival attendees, college students, youth athletes. Secondary: Sneaker enthusiasts and local communities around stop locations.
Where will this ad appear (i.e., OOH, online, print media, etc.)?
- OOH placements at major events (truck wraps, event signage, pop-up displays, geo-targeted billboards near venues like Lollapalooza and the FIFA World Cup 2026 fan zones)
- Social media (TikTok, Instagram Reels, Snapchat, influencer collaborations, live drops, and location reveals)
- website and app (event calendar, drop alerts, sneaker truck tracker, and limited release announcements)
What is the goal (i.e., increase awareness, sell product, improve image)?
Increase awareness of DICK’S Sporting Goods’ non-athletic sneaker and lifestyle Stock Keeping Units (SKUs) and position it as a Sneakerhead’s Paradise, driving cultural resonance among Gen Z through experiential campaigns, ultimately increasing foot traffic, limited sneaker sales, and overall revenue.
What is the current perception of the brand vs the desired perception of this ad?
We want Gen Z to see DICK’S Sporting Goods as a culturally relevant sneaker and lifestyle destination that actively participates in their events, experiences, and social spaces, not just a traditional sporting goods retailer.
Current Brand Perception
- Reliable sporting goods retailer
- Functional and performance-driven brand
- Known primarily for athletic gear and team sports equipment
- Less associated with sneaker culture, hype drops, or lifestyle fashion
- Seen as practical and accessible, but not strongly embedded in youth or festival culture
Desired Brand Perception (Among Gen Z Target Audience)
- A destination for sneaker culture, limited releases, and lifestyle fashion
- A brand that shows up where Gen Z is, including music festivals, sporting events, and cultural moments
- Experiential, fun, and socially shareable in real-world environments
- A retailer that blends sports, streetwear, and culture seamlessly
- Culturally relevant, trend-aware, and part of the hype and drop ecosystem
- Accessible and inclusive, while still feeling cool and discovery-driven
Why do we need this ad?
Gen Z is difficult to reach through traditional advertising and prefers experiences and real-world interactions over digital-only marketing.
Experiential activations at music and sports events create stronger emotional connections, higher recall, and social sharing, which directly increases brand awareness and perception.
Live pop-ups and mobile activations help brands stand out in crowded retail and sneaker markets by creating urgency and exclusivity.
Event-based experiences generate word-of-mouth and user-generated content, which amplifies reach beyond the physical location and builds cultural relevance.
Advertising Headline
Paid Media Plan
| Channel | Placement | Specific Platforms / Locations |
|---|---|---|
| Online (Instagram) | Creator-led content (Reels, Stories) | Collaborations with Nyjah Huston, Sky Brown, The Rollettes Dance Team, Black Ice Crew, and local campus creators |
| Online (TikTok) | Short-form video | Behind-the-scenes content, crowd moments, performances from dance crews, skaters, and musicians |
| Online (Reddit) | Community threads | r/Sneakers, r/Streetwear, r/LosAngeles |
| Online (Tier 1 Editorial) | Cultural features | Hypebeast, Complex |
| Online (Native Ads) | Sponsored editorial-style content | Hypebeast & Complex digital articles |
| OOH (Billboards) | Large format | Melrose Ave, Fairfax Ave, Figueroa St (USC), Westwood (UCLA) |
| OOH (Transit) | Bus shelters + buses | Student-heavy corridors near universities and high schools |
| OOH (Wildposting) | Street posters | Melrose Ave, Fairfax Ave, Abbot Kinney Blvd |
| OOH (Geo-fencing / Mobile) | Location-based ads | Near campuses, skate parks, and event zones |
| OOH (Cultural Destinations) | Digital screens + posters | Hollywood Bowl, skate parks, surf spots, routes near Coachella |
| Print (Editorial) | Back cover | Hypebeast Magazine |
| Print (Zines / Niche) | Independent publications | Local zines, campus publications like the Daily Trojan |
Rationale
Online
- Instagram serves as the primary platform for visual storytelling and cultural amplification, where Gen Z engages with both creators and peer communities.
- Collaborations with figures like Nyjah Huston and Sky Brown, alongside groups such as The Rollettes Dance Team and Black Ice Crew, ensure the campaign is led by real cultural participants rather than traditional athletes or influencers.
- Reels and Stories will capture authentic moments from the sneaker truck—performances, interactions, and community energy—positioning the brand within lived experiences.
TikTok
- TikTok captures the raw, unfiltered energy of the activation, showcasing spontaneous moments, performances, and crowd interactions.
- Its algorithm prioritizes authenticity and immediacy, making it ideal for reinforcing the idea that the sneaker truck is a live cultural moment, not a staged campaign.
- Reddit enables organic, peer-to-peer discovery, particularly within sneaker and city-specific communities.
- Threads discussing the truck’s presence near campuses or events create localized buzz, allowing the campaign to spread through conversation rather than direct advertising.
Tier 1 Editorial
- Platforms like Hypebeast and Complex provide cultural legitimacy by framing the campaign within editorial storytelling.
- Featuring creators and communities positions DICK’S as part of the culture it highlights.
Native Ads
- Native ads integrate seamlessly into editorial environments, appearing as stories rather than ads.
- This allows the campaign to highlight real people and cultural journeys in a way that feels authentic and engaging.
OOH
Billboards
- Billboards in high-traffic cultural corridors and near universities provide broad visibility, ensuring the campaign reaches Gen Z in environments where they gather and form identity.
Transit
- Transit placements offer repeated exposure within daily routines, embedding the campaign into the everyday lives of students and young audiences.
Wildposting
- Wildposting introduces a grassroots, street-level aesthetic that aligns with skate, music, and streetwear culture.
- It makes the campaign feel embedded in the environment rather than imposed on it.
Geo-fencing / Mobile
- Geo-fenced ads deliver timely, location-based messaging, prompting immediate engagement when audiences are near the sneaker truck or event spaces.
Cultural Destinations
- Placements near locations such as Hollywood Bowl and routes to Coachella ensure the campaign intersects with live cultural moments, reinforcing its experiential nature.
Editorial
- A back cover placement in Hypebeast Magazine establishes credibility within sneaker and streetwear culture, aligning the campaign with a trusted voice.
Zines / Niche
- Niche zines and campus publications provide a hyper-authentic distribution channel, embedding the campaign within local creative communities and reinforcing its grassroots positioning.
STRATEGY NOTE
The tagline “For the People. Not the Shoes.” directly aligns with Gen Z’s values of authenticity, community, and cultural participation over traditional status signaling. For this audience, sneakers are not simply products but symbols of identity, belonging, and shared experiences. By shifting the focus away from the product and toward the people, the tagline reflects how Gen Z engages with culture—through real moments, peer communities, and lived experiences rather than aspirational advertising. This supports the campaign goal of increasing awareness of DICK’S lifestyle sneaker offerings by repositioning the brand within culture rather than retail.
The phrasing is intentionally minimal and declarative, inspired by culturally credible brands that communicate through attitude rather than explanation. The contrast between “people” and “shoes” reinforces the campaign’s core idea that culture is created by individuals and communities, not products. This allows the sneaker truck activation to function as a platform for real people—dancers, skaters, and creators—positioning the tagline as both a statement and an invitation to participate in something larger than a transaction.