Where culture meets the beautiful game.

Motorola partnered with J Balvin to bring football’s biggest stage to life in the streets of Mexico City.

Problem

With the FIFA World Cup arriving in the Americas, Motorola needed more than a sponsorship. It needed a cultural moment. Tech brands often show up at major sporting events as logos, not participants, generating awareness but little emotional connection.

The challenge was to make Motorola feel like a genuine part of the World Cup conversation, especially in Latin markets where football is deeply tied to identity, emotion, and culture. Beyond visibility, the brand needed to create relevance with younger, socially native audiences who expect brands to contribute to culture rather than simply advertise around it.

Motorola needed a way to show up authentically at the intersection of sport, entertainment, technology and lifestyle.

Strategy

Partner with J. Balvin, one of the world’s most influential Latin artists, as the cultural bridge between football, music, and technology. “Jugamos” (“Let’s Play”) became more than a tagline. It became an invitation into the Motorola x FIFA ecosystem.

I identified an additional opportunity that was not part of the original FIFA plan: J. Balvin was not initially included in the FIFA Heroes video game roster. By connecting the dots between Motorola’s partnership, FIFA’s platform, and J. Balvin’s cultural influence, I helped drive the conversations that ultimately led to him becoming a playable character in the game, further strengthening the relationship between J. Balvin, FIFA, and Motorola while expanding the campaign beyond traditional content.

The campaign launched in Mexico City, the heart of Latin America’s World Cup energy, and rolled out globally through social and digital content. We timed the launch alongside his album Omerta, creating an authentic cultural crossover between music, sport, and technology.

Solution

I led the creative strategy and activation for a full-funnel content ecosystem starring J. Balvin and Motorola devices, distributed globally across social, digital, and coordinated with regional teams on experiential touchpoints, including a major album launch event.

The campaign included launch content, social-first cutdowns, event amplification, PR storytelling, and regional influencer content adaptations designed to scale across global markets while preserving cultural authenticity. Every asset was built to feel native to social, premium in execution, and aligned with both Motorola’s brand and J. Balvin’s creative identity.

The campaign generated 91 media placements and 6.6 million impressions in its first week, earning coverage from T3, Acento, and international technology and culture outlets. The result felt less like advertising and more like a true cultural drop, helping Motorola show up not just as a sponsor, but as an active participant in culture.

OMERTA

Rather than treating J Balvin as a traditional celebrity endorser, we embedded him directly into the campaign ecosystem. We launched alongside his Omerta album release and integrated him into Motorola's FIFA World Cup platform, FIFA Heroes, as a playable character. This transformed the partnership from a media buy into a cultural experience, connecting music, gaming, and football fandom in a way that felt authentic to both J Balvin and his audience.

91 Online Placements · 6.6M Impressions · Week 1 Results

Recap video from the J Balvin’s album launch party we hosted in Mexico City to kick off the campaign assets.

JUGAMOS

In collaboration with J Balvin, Motorola launched “Jugamos” — a global campaign timed to the FIFA World Cup 2026 that fused Latin music culture, football passion, and mobile technology. Set against the backdrop of Mexico City, the campaign brought together content creators, fans, and one of music’s biggest stars to show that the best moments of the World Cup aren’t just on the pitch.

Jugamos Project Credits:

Brand: Motorola

Erin Stacer, Global Director of Digital & Social Marketing

Alex Terry, Global Social Innovation Lead

Daniela Castano Vargas, Global Product Marketing Manager

Thomas Milner, Global Integrated Marketing & Partnerships

Talent: J Balvin

Chris Knight, EVP, Artist Management, Roc Nation

Mollie Chen, Director, Artist Management & Partnerships, Roc Nation

Betsy Lugo, Coordinator, Artist Management, Roc Nation

Thanya Valdez, Agent, Global Brand Partnerships, WME

Mariana Segura, Agent, Brand Partnerships, WME

Jake Schwartz, Agent, Digital and Commercials, WME

Music: “Bengalí”

Artists: J Balvin & Ryan Castro, featuring Judeline

Label: UMG Recordings, Inc. / Capitol Records

Creative Agency: MXML Creative

Greg Morrison, Co-Founder

Stefan Clark, Co-Founder

Taylor Banasik, Art Director

Nora Allen, Copywriter

Gwen Barker, Executive Producer

Jane McKenna, Project Manager

Production: Macho Group

Juan Pedro Echeverri, Executive Producer

Martín Cossio, Executive Producer

Leo Jurado, Director

Nicole Diaz, Photographer

Daniel Gómez, 1st AD

Manuela Escobar, Producer

Tomas arboleda,. Assistant Producer

Julian Arias, Location Scout

Guajiro, Field Producer

Sebas OG, Director of Photography

Santi, Ronin Assistant

Moli, 1st Camera Assistant

La trucha, 2nd Camera Assistant

Maicol, Gaffer

Jaime Restrop, Lights

Yessi Patiño, Electric

Emmanuel Rua, Assistant

Alejandro Acosta, Assistant

Julian toro, Assistant

Santi Arango, DIT

Will, Video Assistant

Sara Lucia, Art Director

Santiago Buritica, Decorator

Andrea Casteñeda, Props Master

Jeisson ALejandro, Assistant 1

Velentina Tangerife, Assistant 2

Nasly, Makeup

Denisse Vivieros, Styling

Andres Roldan, Sound Technician

Rojo, Sound

Post-Production: MXML Creative

MXML Creative, Editorial, Sound Design, Color

Almost Gold, VFX

Omerta Project Credits: