One last drive. Three seconds left on the clock. The point two of 26.2. 5:00 a.m. after 5 straight days. Bumps, bruises, and breaks—mental and physical. In an athlete’s life, barriers are everywhere. From the daily grind, to the crippling pressure, to the trials and tribulations of life outside the gym, the pursuit of getting better is a constant challenge and test. While progress and self-improvement looks different for each athlete, there’s still only one possible mindset—The Only Way Is Through. It’s an understanding that to reach whatever goals lie ahead, you must stay the path to come out faster, stronger—better—on the other side.
The Only Way Is Through is representative of the next frontier for Under Armour—the opportunity of 2020 and beyond. The campaign brings to life the real value of momentum; how momentum through work helps athletes push themselves to be better than what they thought possible, and how Under Armour technology—with groundbreaking product innovations like UA HOVR™, UA RUSH™, and UA Recover—is supporting those athletes constantly in search of incremental change in an effort to get better.
The campaign debuted last January 15, 2020 in Baltimore, among a global gathering of Under Armour athletes, trainers, teammates, media, and more, as part of a two-day immersion into the next year of Under Armour innovation. The platform launch includes a 90-second anthem, and will be supported with additional content throughout the year, including spotlight pieces telling the stories of all types of athletes and exploring their “through” moments. As Under Armour and its athletes bring to life this vision for 2020 and beyond, The Only Way Is Through becomes a rallying cry for the brand in an effort to motivate and inspire athletes around the world to put in the work and get better.
The anthem content features a wide array of athletes and teams, including Stephen Curry, three-time Champion and two-time MVP; DK Metcalf, star receiver for Seattle; Trent Alexander-Arnold, homegrown superstar and UCL winner for Liverpool; Kelley O’Hara, Olympic Gold Medalist and two-time World Cup winner; Georgia Ellenwood, eight-time All American and 2018 D1 Heptathalon Champion; Zhu Ting, Olympic Gold Medalist and two-time Volleyball World Cup Champion; Tom Brady, six-time Champion, three-time MVP; Michael Phelps, the most decorated swimmer of all time; Kyle Dietz, former MMA fighter turned long distance trail runner after brain tumor diagnosis; Adinda Sukardi, Under Armour Indonesia Ambassador; St. John’s College High School Girls Basketball; Mission Viejo High School Football; City College High School Boys Basketball; University of Notre Dame Football.
The Only Way Is Through platform will come to life this 2020 through experiential events in major cities such as New York, London and Shanghai. Under Armour, in partnership with iHeartRadio, is also launching The Only Way Is Through podcast, which will offer listeners access into the world of elite athletes and their stories, training, and mentors.
