The house of Stauntion x The Tournament

Chess is losing relevance among younger generations. It is perceived as slow, individual, and outdated, while soccer dominates as a fast, emotional, and social sport. Meanwhile, kids are already highly engaged in strategic thinking but through other formats.
OBJECTIVE: Reintroduce chess to kids by making it: Desirable (a product they want to own). Relevant (connected to football & gaming culture). Exciting (fast, competitive, social)
COMMUNICATION CHALLENGE: How can we make chess feel exciting, social, and modern again for a new generation?
KEY INSIGHT: Kids don’t just want to play. They want to decide and lead. Football lets them be players. But chess lets them be something more powerful: THE COACH
This is the unlock: Chess is not just a game, it’s the place where decisions are made.
So instead of positioning chess as an alternative to football, we position it as the brain behind it.
STRATEGIC IDEA: Use football as a gateway language to reintroduce chess.
BIG IDEA: Be your team's coach

To achieve this objective, we launch the THINKBALL; a limited-edition football-inspired chess board in collaboration with “The Tournament,” translating football into chess. At the same time, a communication campaign brings it to life, turning the launch into a cultural moment. The release is limited to create exclusivity, desirability, and hype.
The innovation is not just the board; it's the pieces.
Each set of pieces is inspired by national teams from the World Cup
How it works: Every player can choose their teams and each team has its own colors, identity and visual style