NAME & NUMBER FORMALLY LAUNCHES SPONSORSHIP CONSULTING ARM AT SOCCER'S DEFINING U.S. MOMENT
New Practice Debuts as Name & Number Secures Sol de Janeiro as Client; Agency Announces Series of Promotions
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 23, 2026 - Name & Number, a soccer-specific marketing and creative agency, today announced the formal launch of a dedicated sponsorship consulting practice, positioning the agency at the center of soccer's defining moment in the United States. The practice arrives as a new wave of brands move into American soccer to capture the incredible enthusiasm being seen across the country for this summer’s FIFA World Cup 2026.
Led by David Kemp, who has been promoted to Director of Sponsorship Consulting, the practice helps brands evaluate, secure, and activate soccer sponsorships across clubs, leagues, federations, and athlete partnerships. It formalizes work the agency has been doing for a growing roster of brand partners and gives non-endemic categories a specialist partner built specifically for American soccer.
“I've spent my career helping brands enter soccer - first across the English Premier League, then at the highest levels of the U.S. game - and I've never seen a moment in this market like the one we're in now,” said David Kemp, Name & Number's Director of Sponsorship Consulting. “American soccer is drawing brands that wouldn't have considered the sport five years ago, and they need partners who understand both the global game and how the U.S. fanbase engages with it. That's exactly the practice we're building at Name & Number.”
Kemp joined Name & Number last year from MKTG, where he led strategic planning across Ally Financial's soccer programs, including Charlotte FC, Detroit City FC, and The Soccer Tournament (TST). Originally from London, he previously serviced Cadbury's UK football partnerships with Manchester United, Arsenal FC, and Aston Villa FC, giving Name & Number’s consulting practice a rare combination of both European and American expertise.
The launch caps a three-year stretch in which Name & Number has tripled its business and built a client roster that includes FIFA, U.S. Soccer, and Major League Soccer, clubs across MLS, NWSL, and USL, European sides including Borussia Dortmund and Bayer 04 Leverkusen, and a growing list of brand partners like SOCCER.com, Kwik Goal, TOCA Soccer, and WorldSoccerShop, among others.
“After 20 years of advising Fortune 500 companies in soccer, I've watched too many brands spend real money in the sport without fully understanding its unique culture in the U.S.,” said Kyle Sheldon, Founder and CEO of Name & Number. “Soccer in America is unlike anything else - it's both global and local, and deeply tribal. Our new consulting practice under David Kemp brings real rigor to every brand who is serious about reaching soccer fans in the U.S.”
The momentum behind the new practice was underscored last week, when Name & Number announced Sol de Janeiro, the globally beloved beauty brand, as its newest client. The agency has supported strategic consulting around the brand's entry into soccer, including advising on Sol de Janeiro's sponsorship of the Washington Spirit, with additional soccer initiatives planned in the future.
Agency Promotions
Name & Number also announced today a series of promotions to position the agency for continued growth following this summer's FIFA World Cup 26:
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Justin Hubler promoted to VP of Creative & Production
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Kristi Bruner promoted to VP of Client Services & Business Operations
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David Kemp promoted to Director of Sponsorship Consulting
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John Lewis promoted to Senior Manager of Client Services
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Gabriel Causey promoted to Senior Graphic Designer
“We've more than tripled the business over the last three years, and that doesn't happen without the group of people we're recognizing today,” said Sheldon. “Justin, Kristi, David, John, and Gabe have all been instrumental in our success. These promotions are a statement of intent for what's ahead as we continue to service an incredible roster of clients - and prepare for the next phase of soccer in America coming out of this summer’s World Cup.”
About Name & Number
Name & Number is the soccer-specific marketing and creative agency built for the brands and properties shaping American soccer's next era. Since 2022, the agency has serviced more than 30 clients including FIFA, U.S. Soccer, Soccer United Marketing, MLS, Seattle Sounders FC, NYCFC, San Diego Wave, Gotham FC, Borussia Dortmund, Bayer 04 Leverkusen, and Sol de Janeiro, among many others - helping endemic and non-endemic brands connect with the most culturally fluent fanbase in U.S. sports. Visit NameAndNumber.com to learn more about the agency and see a selection of work.
Contact:
Kyle Sheldon, kyle@nameandnumber.com