Under Armour looked to launch the brand’s ‘Be the Athlete No One Saw Coming’ campaign, featuring five-time NBA All-Star Joel Embiid. In the spot, Embiid trains as statistics flash across the screen, quantifying the slim chances they have of going pro. The raw cinematic direction highlights each athlete’s hustle and determination to beat the odds, motivating the next generation to Be the Athlete No One Saw Coming.

The odds of becoming a pro basketball player are statistically insurmountable. Only .03% of those who play in high school ever make it to the NBA. That’s a billion to one. But Joel Embiid has defied those odds to become a champion.

In this film, we tell the story of how putting in the work, getting back up, and going the extra mile can improve those odds. Our narrative structure is shaped from those stats, visualized as numbers kinetically superimposed over key moments of Joel’s journey—starting with his humble beginnings in Cameroon, and culminating at the top of his game.

Initially, the number is unfathomably large. But Joel perseveres—resilient and undaunted by the myriad obstacles in his way. The numbers dwindle in size as he advances to his prized goal…at first almost reluctantly, then exponentially. At the end, it’s a single digit. Joel is literally one of one.