Protect This House

Marketing everything from hats to shoes Under Armour is one of the fastest growing sports gear companies. Under Armour was founded in 1996 by Kevin Plank and has grown tremendously since then. When the company started they first sold micro-fiber shirts to pull the sweat from skin. However, now the company sells everything to cover your body from hats to shoes and everything in between. They first started selling apparel for men, but as the company grew they expanded their grounds to women and children apparel. They also have apparel for all types of weather and climates. In Under Armour’s new I will ad campaign they use professional athletes to show they defend their sport and remain the best.

Brandon Jennings is the star in one of Under Armour’s new I will ads. Brandon Jennings is not only a great athlete, playing for the Milwaukee Bucks, but he is also a good person. In 2008 he donated $50,000 to the National Italian American Foundation after an earthquake left thousands homeless and many dead. In this commercial we see Brandon traveling from Italy to America and we hear a voice warning others of an underdog. The voice tells others they should be prepared to play hard because he will not give up. Although in the middle of the ad it appears he may quit, but he starts training again and defeats all of his opponents. At the end of the ad the voice asks “are you going to protect this house?” Then Brandon walks and says “I will.” This proves that he will not let anyone beat him, that he will protect the sport as if it is his house and he will remain the best.

A second commercial with the same I will technique as the one with Brandon Jennings is one that includes George St. Pierre. George St. Pierre is one of the hardest fighting guys in the UFC today and has a record of twenty-one wins and only two losses. This ad begins with George waking up to a voice calling him, trying to get George to fight him. During the course of the ad you see George training and studying for the fight to come. It shows what he does day to day before the fight, the struggles he goes through and in the middle of the ad it seems that he is going to quit. However, he picks himself back up and begins training harder than ever. He proves to himself that he can do it and he’s not give up for anything. When the fight comes George St. Pierre defeats his enemy and shows that he is the best and that fighting is his sport. At the end of the commercial the narrator as “will you protect this house?” George states that he will proving that the arena is his house and he will not let anyone take it from him and will never give up.

Michael Phelps is another athlete that is in one of Under Armour’s new ads. In this commercial Phelps trains works to be the best. The ad shows how hard Michael works to remain the best as in the 2008 Olympics when he won eight gold medals. Again in the commercial the star appears to give up as in the other two, but Michael finds the strength to get back up and continue training. He proves that he can remain the best if he continues to work hard and not give up. As the ad concludes it ask if Michael will protect this house and he says “I will.” This demonstrates that he will protect the sport as if it was his own home and he will not let anyone take it away from him.

These ads all show how athletes train to remain the best and how they feel about their sport that they will protect it as it was their house. I feel that Under Armour chose the best athletes they could to be in these ads. All of these athletes are very hard workers and they are known for fighting hard and never giving up. These professionals are some of the greatest in their sport and will continue to train hard to remain the best.