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The performance goods provider gets international athletes and young up-and-comers to play ball in conjunction with a worldwide campaign newly launched
Performance footwear, apparel, and equipment company, Under Armour, has launched its first global football campaign titled ‘Slay Your Next Giant’—a push set to inform all future marketing efforts by the brand in the same category. The initiative emphasises its focus over the journey rather than destination and promotes the idea of overcoming challenges.
The overall execution was developed in collaboration with Droga5, the creative agency behind past Under Armour (UA) campaigns such as ‘I Will What I Want’ with Misty Copeland and Gisele Bundchen as well as a summer branding exercise from this year dubbed, ‘Rule Yourself’, highlighting ambassadors including Stephen Curry, Jordan Spieth, and Tom Brady.
The current campaign’s digital story showcases footballers like Memphis Depay of Manchester United, Cameron Carter-Vickers of the Tottenham Hotspur Academy, and other young up-and-coming players from around the world including Brazil, Chile, Mexico, and the United Kingdom, who are in the midst of developing their talent.
Additional storylines feature Jermaine Jones of the MLS’ New England Revolution, Oswaldo Alanisand Jesus Corona of the Mexican National Team, and Gonzalo Fierro of Colo-Colo in Chile. Each player’s story is unified by the final phrase, “You’re just getting started,” which speaks to the ethos of the brand’s global football category as a whole.
A unique element is the focus on the players’ laces, the item which completes an athlete’s ritual before heading onto the field. As a call-to-action, UA will arm its campaign’s athletes with customised engraved shoestrings that carry a personal goal and hurdle to tackle. Upon reaching the desired milestone, each player symbolically removes his laces and replaces them with a new pair, sharing their journey to greatness across social media channels along the way.
“Whether you’re Memphis, an aspiring academy hopeful in Brazil or a Chilean kid playing with your neighborhood team, the goals you set for yourself loom just as large in your head. We’re going to be with each player every step of the way, bringing down every giant he or she faces. We’re making a statement, standing by it, and pushing forward in a big way with our global football category,” said Peter Murray, VP, Global Brand and Sports Marketing of Under Armour.
Via a dedicated website, visitors can find out more about each athlete in an interactive manner and at the end of the video, fans have the opportunity to share their ‘personal giants’ by creating their own lace image via Facebook and Twitter as well as join the conversation using the handle @Underarmour or #SlayYourNextGiant for Instagram.
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