Under Armour banks on star athletes'stories to sell sports apparel

Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) looks to pass as Los Angeles Lakers guard Jordan Clarkson (6), forward

Brandon Bass (2) and forward Julius Randle (30) defend during the first half of an NBA basketball game in Oakland,

California, Nov. 24, 2015. The Warriors won 111-77. Photo: AP/Jeff Chiu

BALTIMORE, Md. — "No Art for Art’s Sake" is a slogan that Under Armour takes to heart.

The sporting goods company is linking personal stories about famous athletes to its

products. It wants to give its products meaning.

The Baltimore, Maryland, company hopes an emotional connection will inspire customers

to buy its athletic apparel.

“We always strive to tell a story,” said Adam Clement, the company’s senior creative

director for team sports.

For example, basketball player Stephen Curry loves sour candy. Baseball's Bryce Harper

drives a black Camaro. Football star Cam Newton took part in a famous college sports

rivalry. Under Armour has designed shoes and uniforms to reflect all three athletes and

some of their favorite things.

By Baltimore Sun, adapted by Newsela staff on 12.06.15

Word Count 925

Curry was the Most Valuable Player in the National Basketball Association (NBA) in 2015.

He is also very religious. Two different shoes designed for him make a reference to Bible

verses. Another shoe is bright yellow, green and red - like the colors of the Sour Patch Kids

candy that Curry loves so much. That shoe is called "Candy Reign."

The basketball star's popularity has been good for Under Armour, which markets him as an

underdog. Curry was passed over by many college basketball recruiters because he is

small.

Curry recently extended his sponsorship deal with the company through 2024. He says he

looks forward to continue being part of the brand's story.

A Baseball Star Strikes Gold

Harper plays Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Washington Nationals. Next season,

Under Armour says the star will introduce a black baseball shoe. It will be a sign of

Harper's devotion to his car, a custom-built black Chevrolet Camaro.

Harper is from Nevada. The gold shoes that he wore during the 2013 Home Run Derby

represented the glittering Las Vegas, Nevada, skyline. The Home Run Derby is an MLB

hitting contest.

Josh Rattet, Under Armour’s vice president for footwear, said that Harper's gold shoes

turned out to be a home run with customers.

“We did a quick flash sale and it sold out within minutes,” Rattet said.

A Football Star's Heart On His Shoes

Newton is a quarterback for a National Football League (NFL) team called the Carolina

Panthers. He wears football cleats in practice that support causes that he cares about. He

puts on pink to support breast cancer research and camouflage to support the military.

Newton also played college ball for Auburn University in Alabama. He wore a shoe in

November to support Auburn in the Iron Bowl, a rivalry game against the University of

Alabama.

Under Armour says it has also designed cleats for Newton in Christmas colors for the

holiday season. For his NFL games, he has to wear shoe colors tied to his NFL team.

An Underdog Versus A Big Rival

Under Armour often markets itself as an underdog like Curry. Its closest competitor is Nike,

a big company based in Oregon. Nike sells more clothing and footwear, but Under Armour

is growing fast.

Under Armour has a goal of earning $7.5 billion in the year 2018. Footwear and

international sales as well as sales to women and online fitness programs are all driving

Under Armour's growth, adding up to $3 billion in sales last year.

Nike also sells its products and sportswear using athletes' stories. Observers said the two

companies are competing with each other. They are both trying to sell clothing and shoes,

sign famous athletes and use sports star's inspiring stories to entice consumers to buy

their athletic apparel and footwear.

George Kiel runs a blog about sneakers called NiceKicks.com. A blog is an online column

on a website where a writer can share personal experiences, observations and opinions.

Kiel said Under Armour goes deeper into the story than other brands.

“Now athletes express themselves through their footwear," Kiel said. "It’s kind of a

competition to see who brings the best footwear out.”

Nike did not respond to requests for comment.

Not Everyone Loves Under Armour

Under Armour's designs do not always get good reviews. Earlier this year, one sports news

outlet said, “Under Armour is trying way too hard to be cool,” and went on to say that the

company has ugly shoes and dumb slogans.

Under Armour designed new uniforms based on the colors of the Maryland state flag

for the Maryland Terrapins. When the college football team showed off their new uniforms

in 2011, NBA superstar LeBron James tweeted, “Ewwwww.”

Shortly afterward, Clement said he was asked if he worked for Under Armour. When he

said he did, the person asking the question replied that the guy who designed the

Maryland uniforms must be on drugs. Clement recalled his response: “Well, you’re looking

at him, and I’m not.”

Under Armour executives said the key is to find themes that provide an emotional

connection for athletes, teams and their fans.

Fast Feet And A Flag

In 2013, Under Armour developed attire for Natasha Hastings, an American track star.

“The cheetah is her favorite animal since it’s the fastest animal," Clement said. "We placed

the cheetah on the back so all those behind her would know the race leader couldn’t be

caught.”

Under Armour went with a snake for the U.S. Naval Academy men’s basketball team's

apparel, creating the custom uniforms with a logo that says, “Don’t Tread on Me,” showing

a snake above red and white stripes. The design was inspired by the United States

Navy flag. It symbolized the American fight for freedom.

Clements said that trendy designs do not always stand the test of time, but ideas are

enduring.

Quiz

1 Which paragraph in the section "An Underdog Versus A Big Rival" touches on two central

ideas from the article?

2 Which of the following options would make the BEST alternative title for the section "Not

Everyone Loves Under Armour"?

(A) Themes For Teams

(B) Design Disputes

(C) Don't Try Too Hard

(D) No Appreciation For Uniforms

3 Read the sentence from the introduction [paragraphs 1-7].

Under Armour has designed shoes and uniforms to reflect all three

athletes and some of their favorite things.

Which word is CLOSEST in meaning to the word "reflect" as used in the sentence?

(A) echo

(B) mimic

(C) recognize

(D) reproduce

4 Read the sentence from the section "Fast Feet And A Flag."

Clements said that trendy designs do not always stand the test of time,

but ideas are enduring.

Which of the following options would BEST replace the word "enduring" in the sentence without

changing the meaning of the sentence?

(A) important

(B) meaningful

(C) long-lasting

(D) deep-seated