Ahead of his ‘Knockout Chaos’ clash with heavyweight mixed martial artist and professional boxer Francis Ngannou, Under Armour marked the renewal of its long-term athlete partnership with former World Heavyweight Champion Anthony Joshua with the release of an AI-led, AJ-focused campaign called ‘Forever Is Made Now’.
Anthony Joshua signed a long-term partnership renewal with US sportswear brand Under Armour in February: the British, two-time former unified world heavyweight champion first partnered with Under Armour in 2015.
Anthony Joshua and Under Armour signed long-term partnership renewal ahead of the fight in what might turn out to be a pivotal year for the UK fighter and former heavyweight champion and to mark the tie-up produced an AI commercial which rolled out immediately ahead of the Ngannou fight on 8 March.
The ambassador led campaign was spearheaded by a short film aiming to encapsulate AJ’s mindset for this fight: not seeing it as merely a stepping stone to another world title shot, but instead depicting him as an athlete hyper focused on the present. The idea is not that he doesn’t care about his story or legacy, but because he knows the only thing that truly matters is the present.
Hence the key copy line: ‘Fight or fade – the choice defines us. When the bell rings, destiny is not just made, it’s seized. The future is made when you fight like there is no tomorrow’.
The ‘Forever Is Made Now’ film was helmed by Director Wes Walker (with creative production partner Tool Of North America): who worked with Tool AI to create a film that captures the intensity of Joshua’s dedication to boxing: thus enabling the Baltimore based sportswear company to create an AJ narrative without actually have direct access to the athlete as was in the final phases of his fight preparations.
The hero, black and white, 60-second ‘Forever Is Made Now’ spot dropped from 5 March across the sportswear brand’s platforms and the boxer’s personal platforms trailed and supported by additional training camp social media content – some of which seeks to drive viewers online to the bespoke AJ page on Under Armour’s website.
https://www.underarmour.co.uk/en-gb/c/anthony-joshua/
“Under Armour has been in my corner for over 8 years now, going on an incredible journey together as we constantly pushed to make me a better athlete. It feels great to confirm a renewed long-term partnership to go on the next part of my journey. They have always supported me to strive for more and have been my longest-standing partner since I started out in boxing.”
Anthony Joshua, UA athlete and two-time Heavyweight Champion of the World
“Under Armour’s partnership with AJ has been instrumental in the growth of the brand in the EMEA region over the past eight years. Still as humble and hungry as ever, AJ continues to be an inspiration for millions around the world, both inside and outside the ring. We look forward to more success together in this next chapter.”
Kevin Ross, Managing Director EMEA at Under Armour
“We are delighted to be signing a long-term deal with Under Armour. We began our journey together in 2015 and the brand continues to innovate and help Anthony achieve his performance goals. The partnership has had global impact for both AJ and the brand.”
Freddie Cunningham, CEO of 258 MGT
Creatively this spot seems to be inspired by Greek and Roman statues, Marvel’s heroic Fantastic Four founding member ‘The Thing / Ben Grim’ (known for his rocky appearance and superhuman strength) and universe destroying supervillain Thanos.