WSS has teamed up with San Diego FC’s Hirving “Chucky” Lozano and five-time Major League Baseball all-star Adrian Gonzalez for its back-to-school campaign.
According to the Foot Locker-owned retailer, the campaign, dubbed “Best Value Always,” features the two star athletes appearing alongside their children in a heartfelt commercial that “blends back-to-school excitement with powerful reminders of cultural pride and generational inspiration.”
Blanca Gonzalez, senior vice president and general manager of WSS, told FN in an exclusive interview that back-to-school is one of the company’s “biggest moments of the year,” and this campaign is all about bringing families together.
“We are so proud to have these two cultural heroes in our commercial this season,” Gonzalez said. “We are also hoping this campaign will build excitement for our communities to come and shop with us for back-to-school. So, it’s all about family values, great products and creating access points in our community for us to give back.”
Gonzalez noted that to help families gear up for the new school year, WSS is hosting a series of in-store back-to-school events from July 17 to August 18 at participating locations. Select stores will offer community-focused activations such as free school supplies, complimentary haircuts for kids, and giveaways—including chances to win back-to-school essentials like sneakers, bikes, Chromebooks, and more.
Adrian Gonzalez and Hirving “Chucky” Lozano star in a new campaign for WSS.
Courtesy of WSS
The retail exec added that Lozano and Gonzalez will also appear in-person to help celebrate the revamped Inglewood, Calif. store this month, tying the campaign into a larger community celebration.
“We are bringing both of them to our store at different times to host events for the community, which adds another layer of excitement,” Gonzalez said. “We’ve had our Inglewood store for over 20 years now, so bringing the guys to our revamped space will give customers a look at our new vision for retail.”
Lorenzo said he is “proud” to work with WSS on this new campaign. “Back-to-school isn’t just about pencils and shoes – it’s about giving your kids the confidence to go after their dreams,” Lozano said.
Adrian González is the husband of luxury footwear designer Betzábe González, who appeared at FN’s Women Who Rock event in February.
As far as what is expected to sell well this back-to-school, the executive noted that both soccer-inspired and work shoes are two of the strongest categories this time of year. “We have a lot of key styles from Adidas, Nike, Puma and New Balance,” Gonzalez added. “We are also seeing great momentum in some of the iconic sneaker models like the Superstars the Cortez.”