Under Armour revealed its first global football campaign, Slay Your Next Giant, starring football phenom Memphis Depay.
Slay Your Next Giant was developed in partnership with Droga5, the creative agency behind other successful Under Armour campaigns including I Will What I Want, featuring Misty Copeland and Gisele Bundchen, and this summer's Rule Yourself, featuring Copeland, Stephen Curry, Jordan Spieth and Tom Brady.
The campaign's digital story features Memphis Depay of Manchester United, Cameron Carter-Vickers of the Tottenham Hotspur Academy, as well as young up-and-coming players from around the globe (Brazil, Chile, Mexico, and the U.K.), who are developing their talent on grass pitches, cement courts and empty lots all over the world. Additional storylines feature Jermaine Jones of the MLS' New England Revolution, Oswaldo Alanis and Jesus Corona of the Mexican National Team, and Gonzalo Fierro of Colo-Colo in Chile. Each player's story is united 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 of the campaign is the focus on players' laces the item that completes an athlete's ritual before heading into battle. As a call-to-action, UA will arm football athletes with customized laces engraved with a personal goal, each pair representing a new giant to slay. As players reach each milestone, they will symbolically remove their laces and replace them with a new pair, sharing their journey to greatness on social media channels along the way.
“This campaign feels very personal for me as I start my first Premier League season,” said Memphis Depay. “I have a lot of giants to slay in the coming months, but I'm feeling more than ready to take on every obstacle and challenge that's presented to me. It's how I've always played and lived. It defines me on and off the pitch.”
“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,” said Peter Murray, VP, Global Brand and Sports Marketing, Under Armour. “We're going to be with every player, every step of the way, bringing down every giant he or she faces. We're making a statement, we're standing by it, and we're pushing forward in a big way with our global football category.”
SlayYourNextGiant.com offers visitors the opportunity to dive deeper into the worlds these athletes inhabit everyday, in an engaging and interactive experience. Learn about the player stories and their giants, and at the end of each video, visitors can share their personal giants by creating their own lace image for Facebook and Twitter.
In June, Under Armour launched the UA SpeedForm CRM FG, bringing their UA SpeedForm technology to the pitch for footballers. Memphis will wear the boots throughout the season, lacing them up with his Slay Your Next Giant laces for each game.
To shop the full UA SpeedForm boot range, as well as the brand's other football boot offerings, including their game-changing UA ClutchFit technology, visit UA.com. To learn more about the campaign and to join the conversation, tag @Underarmour and #SlayYourNextGiant on Twitter and Instagram.
