History of under armour. Under Armor forces Nike and Adidas out of the market

Although the American brand Under Armor is quite young compared to its competitors like Nike and adidas, today it is considered one of the main brands in the sports equipment segment. Founded in 1996 by the captain of the university football team, the company has become a sponsor of American football players, baseball players, speed skaters, basketball players and tennis players. Among them, Joel Embiid, and many others.

History of creation

The Under Armor brand went through a thorny path before becoming a truly recognizable and popular brand. It all started in 1995, when the young captain of the Maryland football team, Kevin Plank, decided to change the way athletes thought about sports equipment. The fact is that Kevin more than once noticed that during training his cotton T-shirt became wet after a short period of time. He had to change his T-shirt several times, which caused inconvenience during the training process. Plank wondered why there was still no clothing on the market that could stay dry and breathable while exercising.

After graduating from college, Kevin Plank decided to make his dream come true and create a super T-shirt that would stay dry, breathable and lightweight throughout your workout.

Kevin Plank

For the first model, Kevin decided to buy material used in the production of shorts for football teams. Unlike a cotton T-shirt, the shorts absorbed all the moisture, but remained dry. Planck took the material to a local tailor, but, having received the result, he realized that it was necessary to go to the big city, to New York, where they know a lot about fashion. Planck, having nevertheless sewn a couple of copies, distributed them to his teammates, and having received positive feedback, he decided to completely throw himself into the work.

The thorny path

The first “headquarters” of the Under Armor brand, a store and warehouse space, was Kevin’s grandmother’s house in Washington. After 12 months of work in the capital, Plank signed the first contract with the Georgia Teach team and a number of other small deals. And soon after that, Kevin received a really large order from the NFL. After that, Under Armor acquired its own factory in Ohio, and the office was moved to Baltimore.

In 1996, Jeff George appeared on the cover of the famous USA TODAY magazine wearing a T-shirt from the young brand. Kevin had high hopes that orders would pour in after this photo, but his expectations were not met. And in 1999, Warner Brothers received an offer to provide the cast of their two new films with Under Armor clothing. Kevin wanted compensation, but the film company ridiculed his proposal, arguing that many new brands wanted to be in his place without demanding a dime. As a result, Warner Brothers still paid a certain amount, which only covered the minimum costs of the brand, but the films, of course, contributed to recognition.

The brand's clothing appeared in the films Any Given Sunday with Al Pacino. A year later, “Understudies” was released. After that, Under Armor became a sponsor of the NHL and Major League Baseball. The popularity was reinforced by the “Protect this House” advertisement with football player Eric Ogbogu.

Moving further, the company conquered the world of sports. Their list includes contracts with Tom Brady and his wife, model Gisele Bündchen, ballerina Misty Copeland, and the U.S. speed skating team, which Under Armor provided clothing for at the 2014 Winter Olympics. Today, the brand produces T-shirts, jackets, hoodies, trousers, leggings, shorts and accessories such as bags, gloves, caps and protective gear. It offers technologies for moisture removal, heat retention, water protection and much more. Let's list some of them:

Name

At first, Kevin Plank planned to name his company “Heart,” but soon he received a refusal from the trademark office. Second attempt – “Body Armour”. However, a friend told the player that there were several stores in New Jersey that made body armor under that name. As a result, Kevin’s brother suggested “Under Armor”. The letter "U" in the word "Armour" also has its own history. Plank was skeptical about the company's growth on the Internet. He relied on the popularity of the phone number. In choosing it, the designer decided that the 888-4ARMOR was much more attractive than the 888-44ARMOR. As a result, the logo was developed from a combination of the letters "U" with "A".

Technologies

Under Armor clothing is made from high quality materials using advanced technology.

The brand's designers were able to develop triple protection from moisture and wind, X-Storm technology, which protects against adverse weather conditions and retains heat when the temperature changes.

We present just some of the technologies used in the production of Under Armor clothing:

• The Infrared line, which is a continuation of ColdGear, dissipates and recirculates heat around the body using ceramic powder; .
• UA Scent Control - combines the unique properties of the synthetic material Zeolite with antibacterial silver ions, which prevent the appearance of odors.
• Charged Cotton is a combination of cotton and polyester, a material that washes easily and dries quickly.
• ArmourBlock is a technology that prevents unpleasant odors and keeps clothes fresh for a long time.
• HidroArmour - clothing with hydroarmor, impervious to moisture and ultraviolet radiation, resistant to aggressive environments.
• HEATGEAR ARMOURVENT - Stretch mesh material provides maximum breathability and cooling.
• AllseasonGear is a material that is highly breathable and is used for sewing demi-season sportswear.
• Tech is a fabric that combines the characteristics of cotton and synthetics, pleasant to the touch, and does not cause allergic reactions.
• COOLSWITCH uses an exclusive coating on the inside of the fabric that draws heat away from the skin, keeping you cool. ISO-CHILL material has a similar function, which is also known for drying very quickly.
• The Coldblack T-shirt is designed to reflect heat and keep you cool in the sun.
• UA STORM for outerwear. The fabric is treated with a durable water-repellent coating. Time-tested materials such as GORE-TEX and PRIMALOFT are also used.

Under Armor Technologies

1 of 3

Under Armor sneakers

The first shoe collection was released in 2006. These were the football cleats that were eventually worn by NFL athletes. Two years later, Under Armor presented the long-awaited line of sneakers in their first commercial. Over time, this product category has become one of the most popular. Having signed a contract with the NBA's Stephen Curry, the brand released a signature line of Curry shoes, and in collaboration with golfer Jordan Spieth a special Spieth One collection was released. In 2018, Under Armor SRLo was released, created in collaboration with A$AP Rocky. Another popular series is the Speedform sneakers. They do not have insoles and are practically seamless. A thermopolyurethane insert in the heel area is used for support and fixation.

One of the most famous models today, the Under Armor Hovr Havoc features HOVR foam cushioning and Energy Web mesh. There are high tops and low tops that have gained recognition in basketball. The technology is also found in the HOVR Phantom and SLK casual shoes.

Under Armor Run

The brand produces collections for basketball, golf, football, training and hiking. A separate niche is occupied by the category for running. The Under Armor Run line was first created in 2009. The company currently produces shoes and apparel, including sneakers such as the Charged Bandit, HOVR Sonic, and Micro G Pursuit. Their products even appeared in the TV series House of Cards.

Today, Under Armor is a brand that is known and in demand all over the world, and the example of Kevin Plank once again proves that one should always strive for the goal.

The company's ambitions are to become as big as rivals Nike and adidas. While Under Armor is still trying to make its way off the playing field and onto the streets, the brand has already gained some fame from the fashion crowd. This was facilitated by collaboration with designer Tim Coppens, actor and wrestler, and the Palm Angels brand.

Under Armor) is an American company that specializes in the production of clothing, accessories and shoes for professional athletes.

The company was founded in 1996 by 23-year-old Kevin Plank, a graduate of the University of Maryland who played American football and played for the university team. Plank started the business in his grandmother's basement.

The idea for the company came to Planck after he encountered problems with his jerseys constantly getting wet while playing American football in college. The desire to get the same effect from them as from compression shorts prompted the young man to create a compression T-shirt that relieves the surface of the body from moisture and heat...

This is what Kevin Plank decided to do and, as you know, he was very successful. A brand UnderArmor have become associated with the best underwear for professional athletes. Subsequently, his idea was gladly used by competing companies (Nike, Adidas, Reebok, etc.).

In 1996, the company's income was only 17 thousand dollars and was provided exclusively by word of mouth advertising. By 1997, Plank already had orders worth $100,000, which allowed him to rent a large plant in Ohio.

But the company's first fame and consumer attention came UnderArmor when on the main page of the popular USA Today magazine people saw Jeff George, the Oakland Raiders quarterback, who was wearing the Under Armor mock turtleneck.

In fact, Georgia Tech only received an order for 10 T-shirts. But these 10 yellow T-shirts opened the door to big business for the company. It was after this that the company Under Armor was able to conclude a lucrative contract with a famous basketball college from North Carolina.

The entire civilized world learned about Under Armor after the release of Oliver Stone's cult film about American football called Any Given Sunday. And this is not surprising, because the main star of the film - Jamie Foxx (his character Willie Beamen), like all the team players, as one, “under the armor” wore the brand’s original underwear. “Planck personally sent samples of the brand’s products to the film’s costume designers. And after that, an active advertising campaign appeared in ESPN The Magazine.

Now, after some time, no one is surprised by the appearance of first-tier stars in the frame, dressed in products Under Armor, like, for example, the same Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson in the successful action movie Fast and Furious 5.

Since 2006 the company Under Armor began producing sports shoes, starting with running shoes. A little later, in 2008, she enters into a contract with a young promising school graduate, Brandon Jennings. The latter, unexpectedly for everyone, decided not to go to college, but to go to conquer old Europe. The young star wore her first sports sneakers on her feet. Under Armor.

Since the end of 2008, there have been active rumors that Under Armor Nike swung at the holy place - the basketball shoe market. Having developed a unique sneaker design and its own patented cushioning technology, the company released its first basketball shoe models. It was in them that Brandon Jennings made his debut in the NBA, scoring as many as 55 points in one of the matches.

The first tests among school students, universities and volunteers showed not only the highest quality of basketball shoes Under Armor, but also the opportunity to compete on equal terms with more eminent companies that have settled in this market. That is why, almost two years later, the company’s first four models entered the market Under Armor: Micro G Black Ice, Micro G Blur, Micro G Fly and Micro G Lite.

Offering the highest quality products at affordable prices, basketball shoes Under Armor have gained love and approval among millions of fans in all corners of the world. This allowed the company not only to strengthen its own position in this oversaturated market, but also to make a serious foundation for the future.

Not long ago, the company Under Armor signed a contract with such rising NBA stars as Deandre Jordan, Kemba Walker, Derrick Williams and Greivis Vasquez. At the same time, brand representatives actively enter into sponsorship agreements with various US universities and annually donate millions of dollars to various charitable causes. The 100th authorized store was opened not long ago Under Armor on the territory of the USA. The company plans to expand to the global market!

Kevin Plank's first business was Cupid's Valentine, a rose delivery service for Valentine's Day. He earned $17,000 from flower sales, which he then invested in developing the first Under Armor product.

Shoes

Sneaker sales are still one of Under Armour's weakest areas, accounting for only 1/5 of the company's overall profits (compared to Nike's 58 percent). In the overall running shoe market, Under Armor still has a relatively small share - only 3% (slightly more than Mizumo). Nike, with its 62 percent, is virtually a monopolist here.

This distribution is understandable - Under Armor is a purely sports brand, focused primarily on professional athletes, which, unlike its competitors, does not have a lifestyle line of sneakers, no links to street and pop culture, no big stars like Pharrell or Kanye West in a team that ensures millions of sales with just one name on their tongue. The company's main marketing resource is aimed at other goals.

However, all this does not prevent UA from actively growing in the sports shoe segment (in the first half of 2014, the company earned as much from the sale of sneakers as in the entire year before last) and putting pressure on competitors. In early autumn, they launched a massive offensive, trying to “steal” basketball player Kevin Durant from Nike. The Baltimoreans offered one of the NBA's main stars a contract worth 285 million, forcing Nike, with whom Durant had collaborated for the last seven years, to overpay significantly. As a result, Nike made a counteroffer and kept Durant in their ranks at the cost of an extra 150 million, and UA showed everyone what they were capable of and that they would fight for the main stars of big-time sports.

“We wanted to send a message to every sporting director, every club president, every league commissioner - no deal is too big for us. Did I enjoy the fact that Nike spent $150 million more than they planned on Durant? Absolute. In addition, we have just begun to master the segment. According to our plans, income from shoe sales should in the future exceed profits from other brand products.”

Athletes

In terms of athlete names, Under Armor is still far behind Nike and Adidas. However, they also have big stars on their roster - for example, American football player Tom Brady, skier Lindsey Vonn, boxer Saul Alvarez and the Tottenham Hotspur football team. UA is placing a big bet on young athletes. Kevin Plank received his first major contracts for the supply and development of clothing from college teams and has since continued to invest in university sports - the company has sponsorship contracts with 24 college teams in the United States. This year, Under Armor reached a college sports record-breaking $90 million contract with Notre Dame. Before this, Adidas was their sponsor for a long time.

Tom Brady

Global market

Another key source of growth for the company in the future is the global market. At the moment, sales outside the United States bring UA only 6% of total revenue (at Nike this share is more than 50%). Under Armor really can’t be talked about as a global brand yet. Unlike Nike and Adidas, the Baltimore company is not at all promoted in the Old World. In Russia, for example, there is not a single official store and it is not so easy to find things with the UA logo in multi-brand stores.

However, once upon a time Nike was also a purely American brand, and the European market was divided between Adidas and Puma. Today Nike is the world's largest clothing manufacturer. Under Armor is following in the footsteps of its competitors and will sooner or later annex part of the global market from them. In recent years, the company has been seriously expanding its sales geography - UA stores are opening in major countries in Europe, South America, Asia, as well as in Australia. The global strategy includes contracts with sports teams from the Old World and Latin America (Tottenham, Chilean Colo-Colo) and the American Olympic team in speed skating and gymnastics, with which they have agreements for tailoring uniforms until 2022.

Gisele Bundchen

Technologies

The company's history began with the idea of ​​​​creating technological underwear; 18 years later, technology is still a pillar of Under Armour's development strategy. Now the company’s plant has a separate top-secret Innovation Lab campus for research. Only 1% of employees have access here; the entrance with a device that reads the pattern of veins is more like an underground laboratory of the 007 agents' unit. Inside, work is underway on the most advanced products and concepts of the companies and testing the latest developments on real athletes. However, you won’t surprise anyone with a huge staff of engineers and their own research laboratory - both Nike and Adidas have them.

Much more interesting is the annual Innovation Challenge tender organized by UA in the field of sports innovation. This is an open competition to which developers send their ideas and concepts - something like the show “The Voice”, only about engineers and innovations in sports. With judges, a television studio and a gigantic list of contestants (last year more than four thousand applications were submitted for participation). UA management, led by Plank, personally selects the finalists, and the winner, in addition to a grant of 50 thousand dollars, receives a unique opportunity to participate in the development of the brand’s products.

Last year, the competition was won by Light Bohrd, which presented a T-shirt for night runs with built-in LEDs that are powered by the athlete's movement. Two years ago, engineer Scott Peters won by inventing a magnetic zipper that could be fastened with one hand. This season, more than 400 thousand jackets equipped with MagZip have arrived in stores.

Last year, Under Armor bought MapMyFitness, which makes mobile apps MapMyRun and MapMyRide, for $150 million. In addition, this summer, rumors spread online that Under Armor was working on a fitness sensor together with Samsung. The choice of partner is clear. If Nike is partnering with Apple, then UA needs to team up with their main competitor. According to UA’s calculations, a partnership with the Korean tech giant would allow them to expand their MapMyFitness brand and, based on Samsung technologies, integrate the system into clothing, shoes and watches. However, since then, no clear details about the cooperation between UA and Samsung have appeared.

Not many people know that since 2014, Under Armor has been pushing Adidas out of second place after Nike.

It all started in 1995, when Kevin Plank, then the captain of his high school football team in Maryland, began to notice that during practice his cotton T-shirt, a constant part of the sports uniform at the time, always became wet and heavy with sweat. I had to change my T-shirt several times during training to feel comfortable on the field. “Why has no one yet invented something more suitable for sports than an ordinary cotton T-shirt in the summer and the same T-shirt, but with long sleeves in the winter? There must be something better,” he thought, unaware that this simple conclusion would mark the beginning of perhaps the most ambitious brand of high-tech sportswear.

Planck was never an excellent student or what is called “lucky in life.” After graduating from college, he simply decided to achieve his goal - to create the best sports T-shirt - one that would stay dry even in the most brutal heat. The first material to try was a synthetic fabric similar to the compression shorts that were also part of the football uniform and, unlike the absorbent cotton T-shirt, stayed dry. Kevin purchased a roll of this fabric and went to a local tailor, asking him to make a tight-fitting T-shirt “from this.” He received the order, but without going through the details, Kevin realized that if you want to make a cool T-shirt, you need to go to New York, one of the capitals of world fashion, where they know a lot about modern fabrics and sewing skills. The reward for his difficult journey was the first batch of coveted T-shirts, prototypes that he proudly took home for “field testing.” Plank gave it to his teammates and friends, who went on to play in the NFL (US National Football League). After receiving their feedback, he went back to work and soon emerged with a revolutionary new microfiber T-shirt that wicked moisture away from the body while remaining dry, cool and light. With a nearly perfect T-shirt in hand, Plank decides to launch his own clothing line.

To start, a company needs funds. He took out all the loans available to him, and with about $40,000 in his account, he founded the company, the first office of which was located in his grandmother's house in Washington. He lived on the second floor, on the first floor there was the main premises and a store, and in the basement there was a warehouse for products. The brand name was born, as usual, by accident. At first, Kevin wanted to name the company “Heart”, but the trademark office rejected him, a word that is too popular in advertising names. The second attempt was “Body Armor” - also a failure - it was also the name of the body armor store. And then one day, during a meeting, Kevin’s older brother casually asked, “How is this company you’re involved in...Under Armour, I think?” Two weeks later, Kevin received confirmation of the trademark registration.

Twelve months later, Under Armor secured its first wholesale apparel contract for Georgia Tech. Next came a series of orders for major league teams, all this at a time when Under Armor was located “in the basement of my grandmother’s house.” At the same time, a truly large order arrived from the NFL, which allowed the company to move to the next level and move its headquarters to South Baltimore and open its own factory in Ohio. It was in Baltimore that the Under Armor team developed prototypes for its renowned lines of performance apparel, including the well-known HeatGear®, ColdGear®, and AllSeasonGear® - hot, cold, and all-season clothing, respectively. Now the revolution has officially begun. Also in 1996, Jeff George, one of the most popular quarterbacks for the Oakland Raiders, appeared on the cover of the extremely popular USA Today magazine wearing an Under Armor T-shirt. As Kevin Plank tells it, it was the day when you thought, “Well, now everything will go like clockwork!” From the very morning, he expected the phone to ring off the hook with calls from new clients and a flurry of orders, but nothing like that happened. Then he In 1999, a seemingly dizzying offer for the young brand came from Warner Brothers - they wanted to dress the entire cast of two films about football teams (Oliver Stone's ANY GIVEN SUNDAY and THE REPLACEMENTS) in Under Armor branded clothing. Kevin Plank was speechless with delight, but in response to his question “Who should I bill to?” I heard a laugh from a representative of the film company: “What other score?”, and this jarred him a little. In the film industry, it is customary to receive countless samples of products from a company free of charge, as long as they are included in the film, but Planck, although he agreed to the deal at the time, later said: “You should never underestimate your product. Never". As a result, Warner Brothers contributed a certain amount to the Under Armor account, but it was rather conditional, not nearly comparable to the amount of clothing provided. Of course, the films contributed to brand recognition.

In 2003, Under Armor launched its first television ad, designed to unite all athletes under one slogan - PROTECT THIS HOUSE.®. (“Defend this house.” - a call addressed more to men, which appeals to both belligerence and sports passion, since in English house also means its “home” team, “home field”). And as the second part of the slogan, the answer later began to be used - I WILL (“(Yes,) I will”). Interestingly, this answer fits the slogan of the main rival in global sales, Nike: Just Do It - Under Armour: I Will.

Today, two decades later, Under Armor produces perhaps the most technologically advanced sportswear, footwear and uniforms in the world. It is noteworthy that over the years the brand has not compromised its beliefs and philosophy of creating the best sportswear in the world, whether for the sake of fashion or simplifying production to reach a wider market. Under Armor is chosen not only by famous professional athletes, but also by everyone who is sincerely passionate about active movement, sports, overcoming themselves and their capabilities. Under Armor's assortment includes men's, women's, and unisex clothing lines, with many patented technologies for clothing for different seasonal conditions. Under Armor is a true mark of quality that still wholeheartedly stands for the most comfortable, truly comfortable clothing that reflects the true spirit of competition.

On sale in Republic

Under Armor- Type Public Traded as NYSE: UA ... Wikipedia

Under Armor- Inc. Rechtsform Aktiengesellschaft Gründung 1996 Sitz Baltimore, Maryland Leitung Kevin Plank (Gründer/Präsident/CEO) Umsatz … Deutsch Wikipedia

Under Armor- es una empresa de ropa deportiva y calzado deportivo, con sede en los Estados Unidos. Fue fundada el 29 de enero 1990 por Kevin Plank. Under Armor se caracteriza por la producción de ropa ajustada, diseñada especialmente para utilizarse debajo… … Wikipedia Español

Under Armor- Logo de Under Armor Création 1996 Fondateurs Kevin Plank Personnages clés … Wikipédia en Français

Under Armor Undeniable Performance ESPY Award- The Under Armor Undeniable Performance ESPY Award has been conferred annually since 2006 on the player, irrespective of gender or nationality, adjudged to have made, in a given calendar year, the most significant, remarkable, and performance in… … Wikipedia

Armor and Company- was an American slaughterhouse and meatpacking company founded in Chicago, Illinois, in 1867 by the Armor brothers, led by Philip Danforth Armour. By 1880, the company was Chicago's most important business and helped make the city and its Union... ... Wikipedia

Armor of God (film)- Armor of God Hong Kong film poster Traditional 龍兄虎弟 Simplified ... Wikipedia

Armor of God II: Operation Condor- Hong Kong film poster Traditional 飛鷹計劃 ... Wikipedia

Armor- (or armor) is protective covering, most commonly manufactured from metals, to prevent damage from being inflicted to an individual or a vehicle through use of direct contact weapons or projectiles, usually during combat. While early armor tended… Wikipedia

Armor Thyroid- (thyroid tablets, USP) is a product derived from porcine thyroid glands. Each grain contains 38 micrograms of levothyroxine (T4) and 9 micrograms of liothyronine (t3). Inactive ingredients are calcium stearate, dextrose, microcrystalline... ... Wikipedia

Armour, South Dakota- Infobox Settlement official name = Armour, South Dakota other name = native name = nickname = settlement type = City motto = imagesize = image caption = flag size = image seal size = image shield = shield size = image blank emblem = blank emblem… … Wikipedia

Books

• Electrical Installation Calculations. For Compliance with BS 7671:2008, Jenkins B. D.. Manual calculations are still extensively used and in particular are necessary for checking and verifying various software calculation design packages. It is highly recommended that users of... Buy for 4991.13 RUR eBook
• The Doctor & the Runaway Heiress, Marion Lennox. Swapping her designer dresses for a nurse’s uniform! Renowned doctor Riley Chase might have literally rescued heiress Pippa Fotheringham from the sea, but he’s definitely no knight in shining…