Like A Rock: 'Bad Ass' Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson Now Stars For Under Armour
By Barry Janoff
October 26, 2015: Under Armour, which already boasts an endorsement roster that includes Stephen Curry, Rory McIlroy, Jordan Spieth, Tom Brady and Misty Copeland, has added a rock to its lineup.
Calling it "years in the making," the sports apparel and footwear company said that Dwayne Johnson — aka The Rock — has signed a deal to represent the company.
The deal with Johnson, a WWE superstar who has become a fixture in action-adventure Hollywood films, was unveiled via social media, including Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
Financial details were not shared.
“It's official," Johnson and Under Armour said in a joint statement. "The Rock/Under Armour partnership has been years in the making and we're proud and pumped to have it come to fruition."
According to Under Armour, "The goal is to bring you innovative and bad-ass products that inspire men, women and kids to stay hungry, humble and always be the hardest workers in the room.”
Details of marketing with The Rock were not shared but is expected to include a multi-platform push that takes advantage of his WWE alliance as well as starring in such efforts as Fast & Furious, Journey to the Center of the Earth and HBO's Ballers.
The alliance with Johnson came as Under Armour reported the first $1 billion quarter sales in company history.
"Our scoreboard in the third quarter not only marked our 22nd straight quarter of at least 20% net revenue growth, but also our first $1 billion quarter," Kevin Plank, chairman and CEO for Under Armour, told financial analysts and media during a conference call late last week. "Our ongoing success in 2015 has been driven by innovative, head-to-toe product, combined with game-changing performances by our athletes. (We plan on) leveraging these great successes throughout 2015."
Under Armour this month released the second series of its Stephen Curry signature line as part of its strategy to work with the NBA to build its brand worldwide.
In August, the brand signed a ten-year pact with the NBA, designating Under Armour as the title partner of NBA Draft Combine, presenting partner of the Jr. NBA program in the U.S. and partner of the NBA Fit App.
The partnership also extends marketing rights to Asia, allowing Under Armour to promote Curry and other athletes on its NBA roster in greater China using NBA uniforms and league marks.
Under Armour's roster of pro athletes also includes MLB players Bryce Harper, Buster Posey, Zack Greinke, Joc Pederson, Lorenzo Cain and Todd Frazier; NFL players Tom Brady, Brandon Marshall, Eddie Lac, Julio Jones and Patrick Peterson; world-class runner Frezer Legesse Miller; and MMA fighter Elias Silverio.
Under its "I Will What I Want" banner, Under Armour earlier this year released a multi-media campaign for its burgeoning women's division featuring "Women of Will": Copeland, Gisele Bündchen, Lindsey Vonn, pro surfer Brianna Cope and Kelley O'Hara of the World Cup champion U.S. Women's National Soccer Team.
Also helping to drive sales: Under Armour's "Connected Fitness," a tech-driven platform (including such interactive and wearable apps as MapMyFitness, Record, Endomonto and MyFitnessPal) which the company said "provides the technology needed to help (people) train, perform and improve."
Connected Fitness includes more than 140 million unique registered users and is adding "on average more than 100,000 new athletes each day," per Under Armour.
Under Armour's current "Rule Yourself" global marketing campaign, which includes Curry, Spieth, Brtady and Copeland, "highlights the training and dedication that drives our athletes to be their best on the biggest stages," according to the Baltimore-based company.
"We are experiencing powerful brand momentum in 2015 and we continue to invest to capitalize on our success in the near-term while establishing the foundation for sustainable growth in the future," Plank said during the financial call. "We are confident that the building blocks to reach our Investor Day target of $7.5 billion in net revenues by 2018 are firmly in place.
"As we think bigger about the opportunity of our brand, an ongoing focus on investing in key areas like footwear, international, Connected Fitness and manufacturing capability will position us for the long runway of growth beyond just the next three years. Still, with all the success we have seen to date, we firmly believe that we are just getting started," said Plank
Curry, Spieth, Copeland Key Players In Driving Under Armour Sales
Curry Continues MVP Role As Big Man On Under Armour Campus
Back to Home Page