Under Armour is “planning to bring aboard a new creative agency to help it make a major splash with its basketball footwear business over the next 18 months,” according to Rupal Parekh of AD AGE. Under Armour Senior VP/Brand Steve Battista said that four firms -- Goodby Silverstein & Partners; TwoFifteenMcCann; McKinney; and CP&B -- are “under consideration for the assignment.” Battista said that he "hopes to name the winning agency within the next three weeks." Battista: “They’ve all come in and met with various members of the team as well as some of our athletes." Under Armour has retained Consigliere Brand Capital to "help select the participating agencies and guide the review process." Of the contenders, TwoFifteenMcCann “is the only agency to currently work with Under Armour.” While the winning agency will “be responsible for the whole of Under Armour's basketball portfolio, which includes both sneakers and apparel, the focus is definitely on boosting consumer awareness of the shoes.” Parekh noted the review is a “sign that Under Armour is ramping up its advertising activities overall” (ADAGE.com, 8/18).
