La Colombe just launched a national platform that connects Philadelphia's sports culture to the U.S. men's national team (USMNT) at the World Cup.
Created by Uncommon New York and directed by Leigh Powis, the hero film was shot entirely in Philadelphia, where La Colombe was founded in 1994.
"Must Be the Coffee" follows locals debating whether the young USMNT can win it all.
They talk themselves into believing, and the film roots this faith in the city's long history of backing underdogs.
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The campaign launched June 12 alongside the USMNT’s 9 p.m. ET opening match, giving La Colombe a direct product role in an evening sports occasion.
"For 'Must Be the Coffee,' authenticity was the starting point," Uncommon Executive Creative Director Gary Van Dzura told DesignRush.
"We wanted it to feel unmistakably Philly, so we featured real Philadelphians whose stories and personalities reflect the energy of the city."
The wider rollout adds limited-edition U.S. Soccer packaging on La Colombe's ready-to-drink lattes.
It also brings nationwide sampling, watch parties, café offers, team content, and a Venice Beach fan activation.
Philly Locals Make the Film Credible
The film casts people already tied to Philadelphia, then lets their real roles be the story.
The youth players come from Salone FC, a local soccer club that La Colombe supports.
Philadelphia Eagles cheerleaders appear throughout, and actual La Colombe baristas fill the café.
There's a SEPTA driver with more than 25 years on the job, and two South Philadelphia women who grew up minutes apart met for the first time on set.
The script ties this local community to the USMNT through the city's identity.
One passage describes residents who bleed, freeze, and lose their voices for long shots because they see themselves in those teams.
Another stretches it to 250 years of believing in the impossible, linking Philadelphia's mindset to the wider American story.
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The payoff line, "It must be the coffee," turns all this belief into the campaign mnemonic.
By the time this line arrives, the real people, the real city, and the real café have already done the convincing. The coffee just takes the credit.
Coffee Earns a Spot on Matchday
The U.S. Soccer partnership gives La Colombe several ways to move from awareness to consumption.
Starting June 12, guests wearing U.S. Soccer merchandise can receive a free iced Americano at select La Colombe cafés on USMNT matchdays.
Limited-edition packaging on the brand’s ready-to-drink lattes extends the campaign into retail, while nationwide sampling and watch parties create additional trial points.
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La Colombe is also supplying a full-time barista at the team’s basecamp throughout the tournament, preparing players’ preferred beverages.
This role places the product inside the team environment and gives the brand partnership a functional purpose.
La Colombe and U.S. Soccer will also present the "Stars & Stripes" content series, offering behind-the-scenes coverage throughout the tournament.
The official USMNT fan headquarters in Venice Beach adds an in-person layer, with free La Colombe lattes available from June 11 through June 26.
Together, the activations create an experiential marketing route from team credibility to fan trial and retail purchase.
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The campaign offers three useful takeaways for brands and agencies:
- Give local identity a product payoff. Philadelphia’s belief leads directly to the coffee line.
- Make sponsorship useful. Café offers and a team barista give the product a practical role.
- Expand the occasion. Late kickoffs create an evening use case for a category associated with mornings.
La Colombe pinned its campaign on a young team that could exit early, and a quick USMNT loss will put the whole belief-in-long-shots story to the test.
Our Take: Will a Free Americano Turn Into a Sale?
We think the most valuable part of the partnership is the path from credibility to conversion.
The full-time barista gives La Colombe an authentic team-use story.
Free Americanos let supporters try the product with little friction, and limited-edition ready-to-drink packaging creates a retail follow-up.
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This sequence gives each activation a commercial purpose and moves the consumer closer to purchase.
Café redemptions, loyalty offers, QR codes, and retailer data could show whether the matchday trial leads to later purchases.
The partnership’s lasting value will depend on proving this connection.
The team barista supplies credibility, and retail conversion determines the business result.
Pepsi used a similar product-occasion strategy in "Soccer Deserves Pepsi," linking cola with match-day food, delivery offers, and at-home viewing.
Looking to connect a product with live sports, fan behavior, and matchday culture? Explore the top sports marketing agencies in our directory.
