Run of the Show: Behind the (Run of the) Show
For the last several weeks, we’ve covered brands’ singular opportunity to make a memorable and lasting mark on audiences this summer, thanks to the 2026 World Cup. In covering this event, we talked about everything, from what it takes to pull off a great watch party to the importance of merchandise and inviting the right talent. But for this edition of Run of the Show, we peel back the curtain to talk about how we implemented all these rules, in collaboration with WINK, to pull off Atlanta Fan Fest: one of the biggest of the FIFA festivals and one of the most attended events in the city’s history. For brands, it was also an opportunity for direct, face-to-face contact with an audience of 500,000.
The Stakes
The summer was an exceptional opportunity in scale, but also a critical one in nature. A heat wave, remnants of a storm, a crowd whose energy we could shape but never script, and many other variables we couldn’t control for ahead of time. There was no time to slow down and no chance for a re-do. People showed up every day, at times traveling from across the world, and we had to deliver an experience worth every mile and every penny.
Adaptability, dexterity, and resilience were crucial, and that’s exactly where our 17 years of experience came into play. High-stakes situations, the need to adapt, and pivot in the face of unforeseen circumstances are something our firm has done over and over again, so the pressure didn’t bother us.
The Watch Party
People showed up to watch games. But of course, we knew that putting a few TVs up and calling it a day wouldn’t be enough. After all, if it were only about the matches, people could simply go to a nearby bar and call it a day. The match lasts 90 minutes. We knew that a good watch party provides plenty to do beyond that.
After getting the TV part covered, including a 47-foot jumbo screen serving as a focal point of the festival, we got to the rest. We collaborated with dozens of local vendors to ensure fans had plenty of food and drink options to enjoy. We jam-packed the schedule with a diverse group of artists and entertainers representing participating countries. The sponsor floor — including Bank of America, Coca-Cola, Home Depot's "Beckham's Backyard," LEGO — was designed not as a row of logos but as a set of reasons to move through the park.
The watch party format only works when the 90 minutes of football is surrounded by hours of experience worth having. That's why attendance kept climbing week over week.
The Merchandise
The partners activating at the festival understood something that too many brands get wrong: a souvenir is only worth anything if it's connected to a moment you can't get anywhere else. LEGO's special figurines, Bank of America's bracelets, Coca-Cola's Fan Zone collectibles: All of them were limited-edition, personalized artifacts of this tournament, this city, and this summer only.
That's why the free bracelets were gone within hours, and popping up on the eBay resale market by the first weekend. The bracelet itself wasn’t expensive or exceptional, but the moment attached to it made it special.
The Talent
This was one of the most important parts of the event. Not an afterthought, as many agencies do, but one of the first decisions we made. We wanted to make sure that everyone, regardless of their music preference or origin, had something to enjoy and be impressed by.
First, we made sure to represent Atlanta and the South: Ludacris, CeeLo Green, Nappy Roots, and more. Then we went broader with Southern hip-hop, R&B, Afrobeats, and pop. And then further: Cuban reggaeton. A Latin duo. Dancers from Ghana. Music from Congo. A Nigerian-American singer. No one was selected randomly. Every entertainer was meticulously picked to represent Atlanta, the South, or one of the tournament’s participating countries.
Crucially, our ability to combine creative design with production feasibility from day one was key to the lineup’s success. A hip-hop headliner and a Latin pop set require different sound configurations, lighting rigs, and crowd management plans. A surprise athlete drop-in in the middle of a match day requires real-time coordination between the entertainment team, the broadcast team, and venue operations. These are the decisions that need to be made and aligned in one room, by one team, on day one.
When it Went Sideways
On opening day, the Atlanta heat overwhelmed the park. A weather problem on day one, in front of a crowd that had been waiting months and even years for this. But we met the issue head-on, deciding in real time and without a pause in programming; we extended shaded areas, deployed hydration stations, and moved medical teams into position.
Then, midway through the festival's run, the remnants of a tropical storm forced us to cut a match day short. An event built around live broadcasts had to be rescheduled. So we had to decide, in the moment, how to keep 500,000 people's experience intact when the thing they came to watch got rained out. We got together to adjust the schedule that took months to finalise, ensuring fans got their day’s worth despite the rainy start to it. We did the same thing later, adding an entire day to the schedule, so that fans could watch the USMNT play Turkey.
None of this was in the original run of show, and yet all of it was handled without the crowd ever feeling disappointed or let down.
Why it Worked
Hiring the right production partner is the difference between an impactful event and one that fails to impress. As you can see, countless little details had to come together — from tiny activations to massive production decisions — to make the event the success it was (and those were just the variables we knew and could plan for).
Our experience and cross-disciplinary fluency came together to allow us to plan an intricate, 19-day-long celebration that went on without a hitch — even when there was a hitch. Nothing and no one was random, but connected back to soccer, Atlanta, and FIFA.
By providing an experience of a lifetime, we ensured that FIFA and every participating partner made invaluable connections with audiences and left with new, lifelong fans.
That’s exactly the work major brands trust us to deliver. If you want to know what success could look like for your business, we’d love to talk.