Under Armour's Newest Ad Features Cam Newton Highlighting His Footwork

Under Armour has released a new ad featuring Panthers QB Cam Newton as he "races through a dark forest, dodging tree roots and other obstructions, evading the growls of mysterious creatures and felling massive tree trucks along the way," according to Kathrine Peralta of the CHARLOTTE OBSERVER. The ad, which Newton helped design, is part of a campaign called "It Comes From Below" and "highlights the importance of deft footwork." The ad is set to a "voice-over of his mother, Jackie, quoting 'Watership Down,' a British novel about the adventures of a group of rabbits trying to establish a new home after theirs is destroyed." UA Senior VP/Global Brand Marketing Adrienne Lofton said that Newton was "heavily involved in the ad's creative direction." He "choreographed the run through the woods ... and picked out the clothes he wore." Newton "started talking" to the UA team about the campaign back in March (CHARLOTTE OBSERVER, 9/8). ADWEEK's Tim Nudd noted the ad, titled "Prince With 1,000 Enemies," was created via Droga5, N.Y. As Newton "flies through the woods, we get many glimpses of his UA shoes, and the focus is purely on his movement." He does not "throw a single pass -- indeed, he doesn't even have a ball." Lofton said, "We took him off the field, we took the ball out of his hands, and we created this metaphorical environment that is about crushing through your challenges. Those trees represent barriers he's broken through every step of the way through his career" (ADWEEK.com, 9/7). USA TODAY's Chris Korman noted plans to have the voice-over done in a British accent were "discarded because Newton kept mentioning how important his mother Jackie had been in helping him deal with difficult times, and she was brought on to do the reading" (USATODAY.com, 9/7). 

READING A LITTLE TOO MUCH INTO IT? FS1’s Colin Cowherd noted Newton's ad contains the phrase, "All the world will be your enemy,” and said, "The peak of self-obsession is ‘the world’s against me.’" Cowherd: "The idea that the world is against him is ludicrous. I would argue that he’s the league’s most popular player. He’s more popular than Tom Brady." He added he "was so lost in the optics, I wasn’t listening to the narration.” FS1’s Jason Whitlock said, “If you get into the mindset of the typical physical NFL player, they try to tap into a darkness, some anger and some adversity. Cam is constantly trying to tap into that because the reality is, Cam’s life was not that adverse." He added the "one thing I didn’t like was when he started running through the woods and people were chasing him." Whitlock: "I’ve got to be honest with you -- it brought back scenes from ‘Roots’ to me" ("Speak for Yourself,” FS1, 9/7).