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Under Armour 'Ready For August'

Under Armour is extending its largest-ever global campaign, "I Will", with a 60-second spot focusing on grassroots football. The new ad, “Ready for August,” also happened to be executive produced by former Baltimore Ravens linebacker and two-time Super Bowl champion Ray Lewis. 

The creative, which the company says reflects some imagery recalling Lewis' own life, is a high-pace pastiche of young athletes bounding out of their houses and heading to practice on bikes, trains, trucks, and on foot, all the while giving each other stare-downs that become hard knocks when they hit the field. To borrow a mantra that boxer Floyd Mayweather, Jr. has lately adopted, it’s about “hard work.”

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Parenthetically, the “I Will” campaign, which launched in February with creative featuring real pro athletes, happened to feature pro boxer Canelo Alvarez, a serendipitous choice as Alvarez is actually slated to fight Mayweather next quarter in what will surely be the biggest boxing event, in terms of views, in a long, long time.

As for the new ad, Lewis helped script the new creative -- he spent time on set, and participated in editing sessions, per Under Armour. Lewis said that "pure football scenes" will appeal to people who have ever played the sport even on an amateur level. This, the company notes, is the first time Under Armour has done preseason ads since 2006’s "Protect this House" and "Click Clack" campaigns.

Steve Battista, SVP of creative at the Baltimore-based company, said Ray Lewis’ oversight was about helping narrow the focus “to some of the most inspirational stories of his own life...He gave us a special perspective on a new storyline – the one-on-one battle within the team."

The campaign, which touts Gameday Armour, the UA Highlight MC Football Cleat, UA Highlight Football Gloves and Under Armour Alter Ego Baselayer, will debut on July 15 on Fox during the 2013 MLB All-Star Game Home Run Derby. It will then run in rotation on Adult Swim, BET, ESPN, ESPN2, MLB Network, MTV and MTV2, per the athletic gear maker. 

Online buys include Complex, ESPN, NFL, Pandora, Stack, Turner, Undertone, USA Today High School Sports, and Vevo.

There is also a social component that includes video assets on YouTube, Facebook , and Twitter. Under Armour says print will run in Baltimore Magazine, The Baltimore Sun, and ESPN the Magazine.

Globally, the campaign includes creative that aligns with different sports in markets like England, Japan, China, Canada, and Mexico. 

Per Under Armour, the effort will be supported by additional content including a three-minute long-form version of “Highlights,” and behind-the-scenes from the set with Lewis.

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