Under Armour Launching New Ad Campaign Highlighting Basketball Shoes On Tuesday

Under Armour on Tuesday will debut its new "Are You From Here?" ad campaign, the first effort from Cripin Porter + Bogusky "since it won the company's basketball account earlier this fall," according to Katie Feola of ADWEEK. The campaign, which will include an ad running on ESPN, BET and NFL Network, aims to "tap into the raw mindset of basketball players through gritty yet realistic scenes from demanding practices." Bucks G Brandon Jennings, T'Wolves F Derrick Williams, Grizzlies G Greivis Vasquez and Bobcats first-round draft pick Kemba Walker will be featured in the ad. The 60-second spot "takes the slogan 'Are You From Here?' one step further by featuring voice-over work by Lance Reddick, a Baltimore native well known for his leading role on HBO's Baltimore-based drama 'The Wire.'" UA has "traditionally handled its creative in-house," but this summer the company "felt the need to look elsewhere for inspiration." UA Senior VP/Brand Steve Battista: "We had a lot of anxiety about taking an outside partner, but CP+B put us at ease … We’ve been doing it for over a decade and needed a new perspective." Feola notes part of that need for a "fresh angle is rooted in the fact that UA is considered a football brand." Alex Burnard, a CP+B creative director who oversaw the campaign, said, "These guys are perceived as a football brand. ... We’re looking to prove to kids we get their world and we’re basketball" (ADWEEK.com, 10/28).