The World Cup Returns — and R&J Is There Again

Thirty-two years after helping introduce the Italian national team and the Somerset Hills Hotel to a worldwide audience, R&J Strategic Communications once again found itself helping connect Somerset County with the world.

More than three decades after the 1994 tournament, the World Cup returned to New Jersey in 2026 – and R&J was there.

The summer of 2026 was an especially significant one for Somerset County. In addition to the usual season of festivals, events and attractions, the county was celebrating America’s 250th anniversary while the world was arriving for the 23rd FIFA World Cup.

New Jersey and New York had jointly pursued the opportunity to host the 2026 tournament — a natural partnership for two metropolitan areas with deep ties to one another and an extraordinary wealth of tourism, recreation and cultural attractions. MetLife Stadium, the host venue for the matches, was itself another reflection of that connection, serving a region whose identity and activities regularly cross state lines.

For Somerset County, the World Cup presented an opportunity to showcase that the excitement of the tournament extended far beyond the stadium, and to highlight the central role our communities played in the revolution that won our independence 250 years ago.

Visitors from around the world came to the United States to attend matches, visit family and explore the communities surrounding the host cities. At the same time, domestic travelers and local residents were looking for places to visit, eat, shop and celebrate.

R&J was called upon to help Somerset County tell its compelling story.

As part of the county’s celebration of America’s 250th anniversary, R&J was commissioned to update the Somerset County Destination Guide with a special anniversary edition highlighting the area’s rich history and its important role in the Revolutionary War, in addition to the myriad hospitality and recreational opportunities that the county offers.

Working with resources provided by the Somerset County Business Partnership through its Cultural Heritage Commission, R&J helped bring the new guide to life, with production beginning in early 2026. The guide was designed not only for World Cup visitors, but also to reach a broader domestic tourism audience, with copies distributed at rest stops throughout New Jersey and neighboring states.

It was another opportunity to introduce visitors to Somerset County as not simply a place to pass through, but as a destination worth exploring.

As the year progressed, R&J was again tapped to create a poster series celebrating the 2026 FIFA World Cup festivities throughout the county. The series showcased the remarkable variety of experiences Somerset County had to offer: historic sites connected to the nation’s 250th anniversary, beautiful local gardens, bars and restaurants where fans could gather to watch the matches, farms and vendors participating in local agriculture through the Seeded in Somerset initiative, and the diverse lineup of summer events presented by Downtown Somerville.

For R&J, the work had a special meaning. Somerset County is our home, and we have had the privilege of helping to tell its story through projects ranging from the Destination Guide to Seeded in Somerset, and now, the celebration surrounding the World Cup.

And there was another remarkable connection to 1994.

The Somerset Hills Hotel — our client during the 1994 World Cup — was once again part of the story in 2026. The experience and success the hotel had hosting the Italian national team helped establish its reputation as a destination capable of accommodating an international soccer delegation.

This time, the hotel hosted the national team from Morocco during the 2026 World Cup.

So, in a very real sense, the story had come full circle.

In 1994, R&J helped turn the presence of the Italian national team at a Somerset County hotel into a national media story.

In 2026, R&J helped Somerset County showcase itself to visitors from around the country and around the world — while our longtime client, the Somerset Hills Hotel, once again welcomed a World Cup team.

All in all, R&J was thrilled to be a part of two FIFA World Cups in the USA. And we are particularly pleased that our efforts resulted in significant value for our clients.

The “Beautiful Game” has grown dramatically in popularity in the U.S. from 1994 to 2026. But one thing hasn’t changed: R&J knows how to recognize an opportunity, find the story behind it and make sure it resonates and that the right people hear it.