The words “hero” and “athlete” have always been used to describe men. Combine that with the fact that 95% of sports media coverage is focused on men’s sports, and we are teaching another generation to idolize male athletes. adidas has committed to doing their part to close the gender gap. We were tasked creating a campaign for Rookie of the Year, Trinity Rodman, the 19-year-old soccer phenom.

According to YPulse, Gen Z’s favorite 15 athletes had 13 men and two women.

Few had heard of Trinity, fewer had seen her play. So, instead of creating a traditional campaign, we made a children’s book that told Trinity’s story as inspiration for other young athletes. 10,000 books were delivered to libraries and schools across the country.

It may be impossible to find Trinity’s games on TV right now, but it’s possible for children to see her as a hero and athlete.

To celebrate adidas' newest athlete, as the youngest player to win Rookie of the Year, we chose to create and illustrate 10,000 children's books, free to schools and libraries all over the US. After all, Trinity is just a 19-yr-old kid herself. Unlike other children's books, which are made to put kids to bed, this is a "wake up" book—not a bedtime book. It is designed to wake people up to all the possibilities that await them each day. Trinity didn't succeed by sleeping in; she got there by getting up and getting after it.

It's no surprise that gender inequality exists in sports. It's no wonder, why male athletes are the heroes of most children. Data shows that male athletes make up over 90% sports media. What if there was a way to expose children to a different kind of sports hero?

Our approach was to tell the story of Trinity Rodman in a way that would resonate with young athletes, and inspire them to do great things.

The call to action was not to buy adidas gear, or anything commercialized. The call to action was simply to be inspired by Trinity Rodman's achievements.

Distribute 10,000 copies of the book to schools and libraries all over the US to tell Trinity Rodman's story, and to inspire the next generation to wake up, and get after it.

10,000 books were distributed to libraries and schools across America, with the hope of inspiring the next generation of young athletes and go-getters.

$0 paid in media.

Millions of impressions through earned media. Coverage in major publications and platforms like ESPN, ESPNw, Ebony, Heromag, Sports Illustrated, Sports Business Journal.