As the official nutrition partner of U.S. Soccer, Chobani has a massive stage at the FIFA World Cup 2026 to spotlight the next generation of athletes. But rather than lean on the tournament’s biggest stars, the brand is asking a different question: what about the people who fed their dreams?
Shifting the focus to the grit, determination, and communities behind world-class players, Chobani enlisted three artists to create original work that chronicles the journeys of U.S. Soccer players Weston McKennie, Christian Pulisic, and Antonee Robinson, from childhood to the World Cup pitch.
“We thought about the amount of reverence placed on the stars. Are we rewarding the result too much?” said Sam Shepherd, chief creative officer at Uncommon New York, the agency behind the campaign. “What about the deeper human stories that help those people get to where they are? It’s a counterpunch to the way many brands try to show off the flashy stars.”
Fashion designer Heron Preston created three bespoke jerseys that map out each player’s life using fabrics imbued with personal meaning, such as former club jerseys, flags, and childhood kits.
Portraitist Michael Mapes paid homage to the people and places that shaped the players by building three deconstructed portraits from fragments of “biographical DNA” — photographs, documents, and personal ephemera — to be exhibited at the U.S. Soccer House in Los Angeles. Reproductions will appear as out-of-home displays in New York City and the players’ hometowns.
Director Hector Dockrill also created a series of biographical short films examining the role of unconditional support, from a youth soccer coach to an unwavering mother, that will run as TV spots throughout the tournament.
“The artists all tell the same story differently,” David Isaac, Chobani’s vp, brand operations, creative production, told ADWEEK. “It’s not just the star or the celebrity, it’s about their journey and all the people who came around to support them. There are so many ways to articulate a message and get that out into the world authentically.”
