The start of January saw Under Armour release a star-studded, integrated campaign aimed at engaging athletes of all levels through the shared battle to ‘Dig deep and find that extra gear’ and drive home a brand message about the transformative nature of training.
The athlete ambassadors fronting the creative include Jordan Thompson, Seth Curry and Fleur Jong and the campaign was built on the simple, yet universal question: “When you dig deep, what do you find inside?”
Spearheaded by a cinematic hero spot, the creative features star sports endorsers pushing it to the limit as they grind away at their craft: delivering testimony of their mentality to overcome any obstacle. Each ambassador illustrates his or her own way of finding that last push, that dig deep. The final cut to the UA logo links the spirit of the footage to the brand to create a synonymous relationship between committed resilience and Under Armour.
‘Dig Deep. Set Goals. Level Up’ dropped on 4 January across owned and paid media and implores viewers that ‘this is your season, so let the world know there’s nothing you can’t do’.
This is your season. Let the world know there’s nothing you can’t do. pic.twitter.com/fR3U1ud6kV
— Under Armour (@UnderArmour) January 5, 2023
As well as the anthemic lead film, the campaign includes additional social content and OOH executions as well as original music.
The project was jointly developed by the UA in-house creative team (including Creative Group Head Connor Parrott and Project Manager Susan Thompson) and self-described collaboration agency DOMO (where the group was led by Managing Partner Rani Melendez) and the lead commercial was directed by Julian King and André Stringer.
“We were after something visceral and universal,” explained Copywriter and Editor Nathan Caswell. “We studied coaches and their ability to motivate using grounded language, those who know simpler is always better. We wanted to evoke that soil under the fingernails, the grime and sweat in pursuit of something more meaningful, shared in the plainest possible way.”
Creative Lead Ginger Boyd added: “It was crucial to unearth the most evocative version of this shared experience. To capture that feeling and allow it to reflect and inspire all athletes, from elite pros like Curry, Thompson, and Jong, to everyday focused performers who embody this way of seeing the world.”
Director King explained: “We began by visualizing the narrative of resilience, diving deep into the contrast between the disorientation of being at your physical limit and the clarity of finding yourself and pushing through. In finding your footing again, there’s almost a new reorientation to the world around you, leaving you stronger as a result”.
Comment
Contrary to what most sportswear ads might suggest, failure and frustration aren’t unusual occurrences for athletes – in fact, they are commonplace. After all, there can only be one winner.
The message here is that there is one response: grind now, glory later – push to the limits and find out who you really are. This campaign sets out to motivate every kind of athlete to show maximum resiliency in the toughest circumstances.
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