#DECODED BLOG CW24 2025

⛓️ DECODED: What just happened in culture & marketing? We got you — no scroll required.

⚽️ Football, Fashion & Halftime Fame

The FIFA World Cup 2025 isn’t just a tournament — it’s a cultural takeover.

Football isn’t just the world’s biggest sport. It’s become a storytelling platform — and in 2025, it’s telling stories everywhere.

Let’s start with the main event: the FIFA Club World Cup Final, set for 13 July 2025 in New Jersey. For the first time ever, FIFA is hosting a full-scale halftime show, featuring global music stars J Balvin, Doja Cat, and Tems. It’s a move that clearly echoes the Super Bowl — transforming the final into a pop-cultural moment, not just a match.

But the performance is only one part of the story. Following Paris Saint-Germain’s historic first Champions League win, Netflix is now producing a docuseries chronicling the club’s journey to glory. Viewers will get unprecedented access to players like Ousmane Dembélé, rising star Désiré Doué, and head coach Luis Enrique — all sharing their perspectives on one of football’s most dramatic seasons.

The series will drop after the tournament, and also cover PSG’s Club World Cup campaign — capturing football history in real time. It’s part of a growing trend: top clubs and players controlling their narrative through premium content. And fans? They’re not just watching games — they’re watching the lives behind the game.

Meanwhile, Real Madrid is making fashion headlines: Louis Vuitton is now the official partner of the club, unveiling exclusive pre-match looks for the men’s and women’s football teams as well as the basketball team. Designed under Pharrell Williams, the styles blend futuristic tailoring with heritage luxury — cementing the tunnel walk as the new runway.

In 2025, football is everything — sport, show, style, and story. And every brand wants a piece of the pitch.

🎶 AJ Tracey Delivers — Music, Literally

Vinyl drops. Bike drops. The album release just got upgraded.

UK rapper AJ Tracey just redefined the album drop — literally.

In a cultural first, AJ teamed up with Deliveroo to release his new album “Don’t Die Before You’re Dead” via a virtual record shop — available in London, Manchester, Brighton, Bristol, Glasgow, Leeds, Nottingham, and Cambridge.

The twist? The record is physically delivered to your doorstep in under 20 minutes.

Even better: lucky fans in London and Manchester got hand-delivered copies from the artist himself — in full Deliveroo gear. Yes, that happened.

The album is available as vinyl or CD, tapping into the rise of tangible formats among Gen Z, who are embracing physical music for its emotional weight and analog cool. Prices start at £10 for CDs, with special edition vinyls at £35.

This isn’t just promo — it’s participation. It’s AJ Tracey turning fans into co-stars of the rollout. As he said himself: “I wanted to give my supporters a new way to experience music and food together — the best of both.”

AJ’s rollout proves it: music can be an experience — from your screen to your speakers to your front door.

🍫 Pokémon x HERSHEY’S — Sweet Nostalgia, Collectible Culture

151 reasons to indulge — and they all fit in the palm of your hand.

If your childhood had a soundtrack, it probably included the Pokémon theme song. Now, it has a taste too.

HERSHEY’S has teamed up with The Pokémon Company for a chocolate collab that hits right in the nostalgia: every Hershey’s Kiss is wrapped in foil featuring one of the original 151 Kanto Pokémon. Think Pikachu. Think Charizard. Think that one friend who always picked Gengar.

But this isn’t just a snack — it’s a collector's mission. Available in 10.1 oz and 34.1 oz bags nationwide, the Kisses come with a twist: a limited-edition Collector’s Case is available online at Hersheyland.com/Pokemon, letting fans track their full set IRL and digitally.

It's the perfect blend of past and present: Y2K fandom meets TikTok-era unboxing. With candy.

Gotta catch ’em all? Better move fast — supplies won’t last forever.

🕹️ adidas x Roblox — The Metaverse Just Got More Main Character

2 million votes. 1 avatar revolution. Welcome to motion as self-expression.

When movement meets self-expression, new stories begin — especially in the metaverse. adidas just launched its first-ever community-created animation pack on Roblox, and it's a game-changer.

Over 2 million users voted on how their avatars should walk, run, climb, fall — and even skate. The results? A bold new suite of animations that lets players embody their personalities through motion, not just fashion. Think wall-walking. Think power-stomping. Think fluidity in every step.

The project was developed inside Catalog Avatar Creator, one of Roblox’s biggest fashion games, and signals a shift in how brands tap into digital identity: not just through clothes, but through kinetic storytelling.

Bonus drop: adidas also launched a UGC virtual storefront with exclusive gear — making this a full-package collab between physical brand legacy and virtual world culture.

It's not about standing out. It’s about moving differently.

👉 Check the animations and shop the looks