Cannes Lions

Under Armour Flash

DROGA5, New York / UNDER ARMOUR / 2016

Awards:

1 Shortlisted Cannes Lions
Case Film

Overview

Entries

Credits

Overview

Description

At just 28 years of age, Stephen Curry is already considered the greatest shooter in NBA history. And his release takes as little as 0.4 seconds—that’s the quickest shot ever measured. Curry’s shot and world-class playmaking skills are forcing coaches, players and fans to reevaluate what they think is true about basketball. He’s changed an entire sport.

Under Armour kicked off the 2015–16 NBA season by reminding the world how Curry changed the game. In our film, Academy Award–winning actor Jamie Foxx describes Curry’s effect on basketball while tossing flash grenades in a dark arena. When they explode, Curry has a split-second to take a jump shot on the illuminated court.

Execution

Under Armour’s Curry Two shoe launched on October 24, 2015, just days before the 2015–16 NBA season tipped off. Our film’s debut was timed to fuel sales of the Curry Two while simultaneously reminding the basketball-viewing world how Stephen Curry changed the sport the previous season. The full-length film launched on YouTube, with Jamie Foxx, Curry and Under Armour sharing the commercial on social media to reach a huge basketball-loving audience. Later, a 30-second cutdown of the film appeared during Golden State Warriors broadcasts as the Warriors and Curry chased an NBA record for longest winning streak to start a season.

Outcome

The film debuted at the perfect time, just as the Golden State Warriors began the season with a 24-game winning streak—the best start in NBA history. The film exquisitely articulated what fans were watching on the court as Stephen Curry decimated defenses, night in and night out.

The film garnered over a million views in the first few weeks after its launch, and it’s nearing 1.5 million as Stephen continues his push for a second-consecutive MVP award. Phrases like “Range is the new hang time” and “the step-back three is the new dunk” were shared and adopted by the basketball community.

The campaign delivered over 35 million total impressions, and the Curry Two has been Under Armour’s best-ever footwear launch, outpacing previous generations of the Curry shoe by double-digital sales percentages. The launch helped UA’s footwear segment grow a significant 57% year over year in 2015, including a 95% revenue

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