#Merky FC: Stormzy x adidas
About This Programme
Black professionals are underrepresented off the pitch in football. Despite the sport being shaped by Black culture and talent, the boardrooms, commercial teams and corporate functions of football's biggest brands told a very different story. In 2022, Stormzy came to JABARI with a mission to change that. Together with adidas, we built #Merky FC a careers programme connecting Black talent with the biggest brands in the game.
Challenge
The football industry had a visible diversity problem but no credible pipeline to fix it. Brands wanted to hire differently but didn't know where to find talent that traditional graduate schemes consistently missed. And young Black professionals had the ambition but not the access. No trusted community bridge.
Strategy
We partnered with Stormzy and adidas to design and deliver a programme that combined community, culture and careers. With Stormzy as the face of the programme, backed by adidas and delievered by JABARI. Young people from the Black community applied to join, were onboarded into a private community hub, supported with careers education, and connected directly with 35 of football's biggest brands including Arsenal, Manchester United, EA Sports, Sky Sports, VERSUS, ITV and TNT Sport through exclusive job opportunities.
Black professionals are underrepresented off the pitch in football. Despite the sport being shaped by Black culture and talent, the boardrooms, commercial teams and corporate functions of football's biggest brands told a very different story. In 2022, Stormzy came to JABARI with a mission to change that. Together with adidas, we built #Merky FC a careers programme connecting Black talent with the biggest brands in the game.
Challenge
The football industry had a visible diversity problem but no credible pipeline to fix it. Brands wanted to hire differently but didn't know where to find talent that traditional graduate schemes consistently missed. And young Black professionals had the ambition but not the access. No trusted community bridge.
Strategy
We partnered with Stormzy and adidas to design and deliver a programme that combined community, culture and careers. With Stormzy as the face of the programme, backed by adidas and delievered by JABARI. Young people from the Black community applied to join, were onboarded into a private community hub, supported with careers education, and connected directly with 35 of football's biggest brands including Arsenal, Manchester United, EA Sports, Sky Sports, VERSUS, ITV and TNT Sport through exclusive job opportunities.
85+ Hires
85 young professionals hired into full time roles in football
1500+ supported
1500 young people supported with careers education in a closed community
35 brands
35 brands have partnered with us to provide exclusive job opportunities to the community
step 01
Strategy, Design & Build
We worked with Stormzy and adidas to design the programme from the ground up the structure, the participant journey, the impact goals and all the assets and creative needed to bring it to life before launch.
step 02
Programme Launch
We launched #Merky FC with a shoot at Sky Studios, bringing Stormzy, adidas and the partner brands together to announce the programme. The launch was then released to major publications, putting #Merky FC in front of a national audience from day one.
step 03
Community Onboarding
Accepted participants joined a private community hub to network, access resources and connect directly with people already working inside football.
step 04
Careers Education
Employer insight sessions, in-office networking events and careers workshops to prepare participants for the application process and help them understand what working in football really looks like.
step 05
Exclusive Opportunities & Hiring
Participants accessed full time opportunities exclusive to the programme across 35 brands like Arsenal, Machester United and EA Sports with JABARI supporting the hiring process.
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