In case you weren't aware, the U.S. women's gymnastics team is comprised of some seriously tough young women. And Under Armour's latest ad shows just how talented and insanely strong they are, depicting gymnasts in a different light than viewers may be used to seeing them.
The new 90-second spot, which is part of Under Armour's "Rule Yourself" campaign, follows team members as they train in the early hours of the morning and late at night, all in preparation for this year's Summer Olympics in Rio.
Most of the women on the national team are under the age of 20, but rather than hanging out with friends, going to the movies or dating, they're perfecting their handstands, effortlessly climbing ropes and bending their bodies in ways that seem impossible. The tagline, "It's what you do in the dark that puts you in the light," aims to illustrate that these athletes will work day and night to prepare for battle.
"As a company built by athletes, we truly understand an athlete's never-ending quest to reach greatness, and we want to showcase and honor their sacrifices," said Under Armour svp of global brand marketing Adrienne Lofton in a statement. "By providing this peek behind the curtain of our athletes' lives, we hope to inspire young athletes all over the world to push beyond their perceived limitations in order to achieve their ultimate goals. We truly believe it's what athletes do in the dark, when no one is watching, that ultimately puts them in the spotlight they deserve."
The spot, created by Droga5, is similar to previous work for the "Rule Yourself" campaign, which in the past has tapped celebrities including Misty Copeland and Stephen Curry. It once again focuses on the immense amount of training athletes put in every day and emphasizes their strength.
It's clear from watching gymnasts compete on TV that it takes a lot of skill and practice to fling their bodies between the uneven parallel bars or hold up their entire body weight on the balance beam, but during competitions, viewers see the gymnasts' perfected routines, the perfectly pinned-back hair and the sparkling leotards. What they don't see is what leads up to that: the late-night practices, long bus rides and ice packs strapped to ankles.
Another ad rolls out this week that features Dutch football star Memphis Depay. The campaign will culminate in March with a short film starring American swimmer Michael Phelps.
CREDITS
Client: Under Armour
Campaign: It's What You Do In The Dark, That Puts You In The Light
Agency: Droga5 NY
Creative Chairman: David Droga
Chief Creative Officer: Ted Royer
Executive Creative Director: David Droga
Group Creative Director: Tim Gordon
Creative Director: Alexander Nowak, Felix Richter
Copywriter: Toby Treyer-Evans, Laurie Howell
Art Director: Toby Treyer-Evans, Laurie Howell
Design Director: Cynthia Ratasbouth
Chief Creation Officer: Sally-Ann Dale
Head of Broadcast Production: Ben Davies
Executive Producer: Adam Perloff
Head of Interactive Production: Niklas Lindstrom
Head of Art Production: Cliff Lewis
Senior Art Producer: Julia Menassa
Senior Print Producer: Alyssa Dolman
Retouching Studio Manager: Michelle Leedy
Retouchers: John Ciambriello, Peter Gibson
Designers: Jennifer Lally, Tessa Modi
Head of Communications Strategy: Colleen Leddy
Global Chief Strategy Officer: Jonny Bauer
Head of Strategy: Chet Gulland
Group Strategy Director: Harry Roman
Brand Strategist: Candice Chen
Senior Communications Strategist: Hillary Heath
Group Account Director: Julian Cheevers
Account Director: Brian D'Entremont
Account Manager: Jordan Cappadocia
Associate Account Manager: Scott Bubis
Project Manager: Courtney Kosup, Connor Hall
Client: Under Armour
CEO and Founder: Kevin Plank
CMO: Kip Fulks
SVP, Global Brand Marketing: Adrienne Lofton
SVP, Global Brand Creative: Steve Battista
VP, Global Creative and Design: Brian Boring
SVP, Global Brand Strategy: Rick Anguilla
Sr. Director, Global Brand Marketing: Jasmine Maietta
Director, Integrated Campaign Planning/Global Operations: Teresa Oles
SVP, Global Communications: Diane Pelkey
VP, Media: Steve Sommers
Production Company: Epoch Films
Director: Martin de Thurah
DOP: Kasper Tuxen
Executive Producer: Melissa Culligan
Producer: Michaela Johnson
Editorial: Stitch/Cartel
Editor: Leo Scott
Post Production: Blacksmith
Sound Design: String and Tins / Q Department
Mixer/Sound Editing: Chris Afzal
Photographer: Thomas Prior