What adidas Purpose wants to do is effect change—which means more than just doing cool things with cool people.
Launched in 2020, the initiative is about throwing the brand’s weight behind important projects in a range of fields at the grassroots level—whether that’s supporting local sports teams, providing funding for community spaces or providing resources/spotlight to boost local businesses—so that the benefits stay within those communities. Projects like these have never been more important, especially with economic inequality worsening and politics becoming more divisive. In many ways, the future is uncertain. As Senior Director of Purpose Marketing at adidas, Ayesha Martin is at the heart of this initiative—a creative powerhouse whose aim is to always make change: both in and for underserved communities.
Ayesha brings 15 years of experience working on collaborations across North America, Europe and APAC to her work with the Community Archives project and adidas Purpose as a whole, all of which has been built on the foundation of community. Nurturing grassroots movements and community networks is more important now than it ever has been. When culture, music, food, fashion or any form of expression tied to identity is homogenised or neglected at the community level, the loss is incalculable. It’s why independent spaces, where people can gather and find their place and identity within the culture, are super-essential. Preserving these stories and these spaces benefits us all. When young creatives have somewhere to go, to have their talents nurtured, or their voices heard, they carry that forward when they can find their own unique voice and make an impact on the world.
Through working with community leaders and mentors, and approaching those spaces respectfully and with the sincere drive to do more than just drop money on a situation, the effects of adidas Purpose are going to be felt long into the future. We caught up with Ayesha Martin to talk about adidas Purpose’s new Community Archives zine, which takes stock of their important community-building work since launching six years ago.
COMPLEX: You’re Senior Director of Purpose Marketing at adidas. Could you explain a bit about what that involves?
Ayesha Martin: My role is at the intersection of community, storytelling and social innovation—from managing traditional non-profit partnerships to architecting adidas-owned sports/creative programming, and collaborating with community through grants, co-created storytelling or co-developing spaces to play. I love to think of our team as a start-up within the brand, incubating community-driven concepts, scaling programming with sport at its heart, driving culture first storytelling and informing product creation.
How did you first get started at adidas and how has your role there evolved over the years?
My first role at adidas was at the HQ in Herzogrenaurach, Germany. I’ve been lucky enough to always be in positions that had never existed before. I started in the newsroom as the first Global Lead for adidas Women, working on several initiatives including launching campaigns with Petra Collins, Charli xcx, Dua Lipa, Stella Mccartney and more. From there, I shifted gears into strategic partnerships, informing the development of product concepts like the Hijab and storytelling around our sustainable innovations and then finally transitioned to Global Purpose, overseeing storytelling, partner programming and community impact globally. Purpose Marketing was part of the transformation of Global Purpose at the brand and is unique to North America; shaping the team and defining a strategy to realise our brand belief, that through sport we have the power to change lives, has been a phenomenal experience. What started as individual programs has evolved into a full ecosystem of partners, creators and young leaders who are co-building with us.
What was your background before that?
My first job after uni was at a boutique agency in Cape Town. I decided to travel and, after some time Stateside, headed to the UK. London was home for many years—I worked in streetwear, fell in love with grime, and became immersed in the digital transformation brands were facing. It was at this point that I started to feel confident enough to challenge norms—recreating backstages at renowned festivals, shaping brand narratives for global companies, and informing experiential activations for artists. And, two countries and three roles later, here I am at adidas!
You and the Purpose team just launched the Community Archives zine, and it looks great! ‘Community’ is a word that features heavily in the zine—why was it so important to put that front and centre?
Because none of this work exists without community. Every milestone we’ve reached over the past five years was fuelled by local leaders, young creatives, athletes and organisers who brought their brilliance and their lived experience to the table. The zine is an expression of just that. These are our stories—archived.
You mention a couple of your personal highlights in your closing statement, from the boardroom to meeting the various community leaders. Is there a particular memory that sticks with you or made a lasting impression on the way you think?
I remember standing on a rooftop in Queens watching at least 100 young girls play soccer as part of a Women’s World Cup activation in partnership with the U.S. Soccer Foundation. The setting, the skill and the ear-to-ear smiles as they laced up their new cleats, challenged each other on pitch and collaborated on jersey designs off pitch made me realise that these are so much more than hours of play to record—these are sustained programs driving meaningful access to so many who might get overlooked. We’ve gone on to win awards for our Just Ball League Program, and I can’t wait for everyone to see how it continues to grow in 2026 and beyond.
What were some of the biggest challenges you faced with this zine project?
Purpose work is slow work. You’re navigating trust, lived experience and corporate structures all at once. For the zine specifically, the challenge was narrowing down what to document. There were so many people and milestones that shaped this ecosystem; choosing what made it into the first archive took a lot of intention. Another challenge was honouring these stories with the depth they deserved. We didn’t want to romanticise the work—we wanted to reflect the real effort, the long nights, the learning curves, the messiness, and the beauty.
What are some of the positive changes you’ve seen on a grassroots level as a result of adidas Purpose?
We’ve seen small businesses expand, young creators launch their careers, and community leaders gain visibility and support that they weren’t getting before. We’ve seen grant recipients reinvest in their neighborhoods. We’ve seen programs built by local partners become long-term institutions. And we’ve seen young people walk into spaces—boardrooms, studios, fields, pitches—with a sense of belonging that wasn’t there before. Those shifts may not always make headlines, but they’re the ones that last.
You describe this moment as “a declaration of momentum.” Could you tell us a bit about what comes next?
This zine isn’t a look back—it’s an invitation to us all to keep it moving. We’re headed into a World Cup year and can’t wait to celebrate together. We’re deepening our partnerships and exploring new ways to invest in local talent across cities.
Where do you see the future going with regards to community-led work at high-ranking brands?
The brands that will thrive are the ones who recognise that culture doesn’t come from conference rooms—it comes from community. I think we’ll see more companies move away from transactional relationships and toward truly co-created models, where community leaders have real influence over decisions, resources and strategy. People are demanding authenticity and accountability. Brands that don’t evolve in that direction will fall behind.
That’s a really interesting way of looking at things... Thank you for that. Any last words?
Just gratitude—to the community members, partners, young people and internal teams who trusted us over the last five years. Community Archives is a thank-you and a promise; we’re honouring where we’ve been, but we’re also committing to where we’re going. The work continues.