Posted by Sabrina B. @gametimegirl & @DJJUANYTO
The NBA and Under Armour, Inc., a leading developer of branded performance apparel, footwear and accessories, on Tuesday announced a multi-year partnership.
As part of this partnership, Under Armour will be able to feature its endorsers — which include Brandon Jennings of the Milwaukee Bucks, Derrick Williams of the Minnesota Timberwolves, Kemba Walker of the Charlotte Bobcats, and Greivis Vasquez of the Memphis Grizzlies — in official NBA uniforms to promote its basketball footwear in promotional campaigns, brand advertising, and at retail. Additionally, Under Armour and the NBA will team up to refurbish community basketball courts throughout the US.
“Partnering with the NBA allows us to showcase our innovative basketball footwear and roster of young, talented players through a platform that represents the pinnacle of the sport,” said Matt Mirchin, Senior Vice President, Global Sports Marketing, Under Armour. “We share a passion with the NBA to help young basketball players get better, and our joint court refurbishment program will create more access to functional basketball courts where the next generation can hone their skills.”
“Under Armour is a dynamic performance brand that is adept at capturing the imagination of athletes and sports fans alike,” said Mark Tatum, NBA Executive Vice President, Global Marketing Partnerships. “With its dedication to enhancing the athlete experience, Under Armour is an ideal fit to help us expand access to the game in a variety of communities through the refurbishment of basketball courts.”
The agreement comes on the heels of Under Armour’s November 1 debut of its “Are You From Here?” campaign, the brand’s largest basketball campaign to date. The “Are You From Here?” campaign depicts the dedication to training, commitment to hard work and passion for the purity of basketball that defines young basketball players striving to be the best. Featuring Jennings, Walker and Williams, the highly acclaimed campaign launched with a 60-second spot and has continued via 15-second spots and two-minute vignettes that debuted on ESPN throughout November and December. This fall, the brand also launched its newest basketball footwear including the UA Micro G Bloodline — a collection of shoes inspired by Jennings’ path to the NBA. All of the “Are You From Here” spots and more information about the Micro G Bloodline are available on facebook.com/uabasketball.
An additional aspect of this new multiyear partnership is Under Armour’s commitment to refurbish five basketball courts in local communities. Through this refurbishment initiative, Under Armour will be able to reach the broad and passionate fan base of the NBA by supporting the game of basketball at a grassroots level. The court refurbishments will be undertaken with NBA FIT as part of the NBA Cares Community Caravan. Under Armour plans to refurbish an additional five basketball courts throughout the year.
About Under Armour
Under Armour (NYSE: UA) is a leading developer, marketer, and distributor of branded performance apparel, footwear, and accessories. The brand’s moisture-wicking fabrications are engineered in many different designs and styles for wear in nearly every climate to provide a performance alternative to traditional products. The Company’s products are sold worldwide and worn by athletes at all levels, from youth to professional, on playing fields around the globe. The Under Armour global headquarters is in Baltimore, Maryland, with European headquarters in Amsterdam’s Olympic Stadium, and additional offices in Denver, Hong Kong, Toronto, and Guangzhou, China. For further information, please visit the Company’s website at www.ua.com.
About the NBA
The NBA, founded in 1946, is a professional sports league and global business that features 30 teams in the United States and Canada. During the 2010-11 season, NBA games reached 215 countries and territories in more than 40 languages. End-of-season NBA rosters featured 85 players from 41 countries and territories. NBA merchandise is sold in more than 125,000 stores in 100 countries on six continents. NBA.com averages more than 26 million page views per day, with more than 50 percent of the site’s visitors coming from outside of North America. The NBA is the No. 1 U.S. sports league on Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube, with the most fans, followers, and videos viewed on each, respectively. Through NBA Cares, the league, its teams and players have donated more than $165 million to charity, completed more than 1.7 million hours of hands-on community service, and created more than 625 places where kids and families can live, learn, or play.
