A major coup for New Balance, Raheem Sterling spearheaded a new and lucrative chapter in football partnerships for the Boston-based brand.
As a challenger brand in the football category, New Balance must out-think and out-create its rivals. While competitors insist that vast rosters of talent fit a predefined narrative, New Balance demonstrated the power of individualised storytelling.
Raheem Sterling is the defining example of this approach. Through global campaigns, signature boots, and support of Raheem’s Foundation, New Balance showed the footballer’s full and authentic self, giving young fans the content they crave and supercharging boot sales.
Insight from specially assembled global fans revealed a desire for storytelling which celebrates the individuality of athletes. Through signature boot packs, New Balance told the rich and compelling narrative of Raheem’s career. ‘Jamaica,’ ‘Shadow of my Dreams’ and ‘Route to Success’ chart his journey from being born in Kingston, growing up in Wembley, to making it on the biggest stage.
As well as a high-profile collaboration with Stone Island, Raheem also fronted the We Got Now global brand campaign in 2022, illustrating his position as a leading figure in New Balance marketing, with boot sales supercharged since his arrival.
With this parternship, New Balance re-wrote the rulebook on working with talent, seeking out footballers with values connecting to those of the brand, then giving them a world-beating platform to express themselves authentically.
