The campaign chosen for this assignment was Under Armour's "Rule Yourself" featuring Michael Phelps.
Campaign Description
The 2016 "Rule Yourself" campaign from Under Armour (UA) was examined in the study below. The report's framework includes the campaign's description, media decisions, audience engagement strategy, and effectiveness. UA is a sportswear firm that has become well-known in the American market and has achieved significant commercial success (Weedon, 2012, pp.265-279). Founded in 1996, the “performance apparel” brand became the third largest athletic brand in the world (Under Armour, 2016; WARC, 2017), with several successful collaborations, “Rule Yourself” being one of them. Michael Phelps, whom UA sponsored, was shown preparing and practicing for a major event. With the slogan “It’s what you do in the dark, that puts you in the light” (Under Armour Middle East, 2016), the advertisement intended to bring attention to the sacrifice of sports success, not the glory, directed at athletes and individuals of all ages and abilities worldwide.
UA carried this out with their main goals of increasing brand awareness and sales of Under Armour's men's training clothing from the beginning of the campaign to the conclusion of the Games, all while enhancing its reputation (WARC, 2017). This campaign occurred months before the 2016 Rio Olympics when Rule 40 was revised, meaning brands that were not Olympic sponsors may utilize their athlete endorsers in generic commercials, providing they do not employ protected Olympic trademarks (Nakamura, 2018, p.506). Being one of them, UA bypassed this rule while making not-so-subtle references to the major sports event. The globally focused campaign was run and stayed valid from every technological and legal perspective (Grady, 2016, p.183; Tiwari & Setty, 2016, p.43).
Media Choice
The campaign was broadcast across television commercials (TVCs) (i.e., TBS, ESPN), cinema placement, and multiple social networking sites (SNSs) such as YouTube, Facebook, and X (formerly known as Twitter) on March 8, 2016, in partnership with ad agency Droga5 (WARC, 2017; PR Newswire, 2016).
As the most watched sporting spectacle in the world with a diverse audience (Wheaton & Thorpe, 2018, p.416; Hazari, 2018, p.404), UA utilized traditional TVCs to create brand recognition and influence consumers’ awareness, consideration, and acquisition as they are more successful when compared to other media avenues (Rubinson, 2009, p.225; de Vries et al., 2017, p.12). Furthermore, because TV advertising has a lower percentage of ad avoidance, viewers are more receptive and receive more exposure, making it easier to reach a wider audience (Bellman et al., 2014, p.73).
These platforms can work together perfectly to create a unified voice. With the rise of social TV, where TV viewers use communication technology to interact with others, potentially increasing the enjoyment of watching ads and TV advertising effectiveness (Bellman et al., 2014, p.74). On top of that, choosing to broadcast Phelps’ sacrifices and hardship for his achievements and showing this vulnerable yet authentic side of the beloved celebrity would not only appeal to the brand's primary consumer base but also diverge from the conventional sponsored-athlete advertising model. This concept was powerful yet elusive. Regardless, it outwitted its competitors with the repeated message, “It’s what you do in the dark, that puts you in the light” (WARC, 2017; Miller, 2015, p.77).
Engaging the Audience
The commercial was aimed at all types of spectators. According to Giulianotti (2002, pp.31-32), the hot spectators, such as supporters and fans, whose devotional practices strongly emphasize strong forms of identity and cohesion, are more active in supporting the club or athletes; in this case, it is Phelps. Having collaborated with Phelps before, UA clearly understood his wish: to reveal a distinct aspect of his Olympic triumphs: a somber, unglamorous side that hardly one discussed (WARC, 2017; Under Armour, 2010). By using Michael Phelps's athletic achievements to promote the brand's products and values, the campaign aimed to create a sense of community among the audience and make them feel like they were a part of the UA community, persuading them to purchase from UA to express support. On the contrary, for cooler spectators like followers and flâneurs with a more detached, nonexistent, or passive association, Phelps' status and reputation were used to promote brand recognition and awareness among the public, which is congruent with Under Armour's marketing aims. Additionally, no matter how hot or cool, consumers are drawn to and are more likely to trust celebrities who are authentic, which was the main point of the campaign, which helps to build a relationship between the customer and the celebrity brand (Ilicic & Webster, 2015, pp.25-26).
UA’s campaign has various elements that work with the Psychological Continuum Model. There are four distinct and characterized levels: awareness, attraction, attachment, and allegiance. According to Mahoney et al. (2013), the first level, Awareness, represents when the audience hears about the campaign for the first time but does not have a favorite. Customers at the attraction stage show interest and a psychological attachment to the sports product. They are usually swayed by its advantages or, in the case of "Rule Yourself," by its distinctive marketing approach. During the attachment stage, the sports product becomes more meaningful to the individual on an internal psychological level. This is evident for those who have looked up to the celebrity swimmer or participate in watersports in general, as this was Phelps’ last Olympics participation (Grady, 2016, p.183). At last, the allegiance stage is when customers of sports goods show their highest level of psychological dedication by buying the product and displaying enhanced loyalty in their attitudes and behaviors toward either the featured athlete or the brand, bringing to life UA's point of view on athletic achievement.
Tajfel (as cited in Scheepers & Ellemers, 2019, p.130) defined social identity as the component of a person's self-concept that results from their awareness of their affiliation with a social group or groups, as well as the importance or emotional significance associated with such affiliation. This campaign sought to integrate UA into the audience's social identity by promoting the message that UA is a brand for athletes and people who seek self-improvement and are dedicated to achieving their goals. Through Phelps' athletic achievements and his partnership with UA, the campaign aimed to position UA as a brand that not only aligns with the audience's interests and values but also provides them with the tools and resources they need to succeed. This integration was achieved by promoting the brand's values and products in a way that resonates with the audience and makes them feel like they are a part of the UA community. This helped to create a sense of community and belonging among the audience members, which in turn strengthened their attachment to the brand and made them more likely to consider UA when making purchasing decisions (WARC, 2017).
Evaluation
Outputs
The short film gained 10 million views on YouTube and 3 million on Facebook and Twitter. It also earned 8.5 billion earned-media impressions with 107 thousand likes across SNSs to become the 2nd and 5th most shared Olympics advertisement in 2016 and all time, respectively, despite UA not being an Olympics sponsor. Another video of Phelps reacting to the film caught the media's attention and went viral, generating buzz around the main movie without the need for expensive advertising. He took home five gold medals and one silver (WARC, 2017), which was the campaign's highest point. Social media posts are connected to several hashtags of Michael's accomplishments to support and strengthen the campaign.
Outcomes
According to WARC (2017), UA received a 42% lift in conversation volume, which was significantly greater than the Olympics’ official sponsors, such as Tide (19%), Omega (16%), and Samsung (14%). As for brand consideration, as defined by Roberts & Lattin (as cited in Baxendale et al., 2015, p.238) as the degree to which the client would think about purchasing the brand soon, UA’s rate increased to 20%, while Nike only raised 1%.
Business Results
Not only did UA’s incremental sales rise to 815,000 units, which is equivalent to 23 million USD (about 36.3 million AUD), but its company’s shares also increased 8.4 percent during the Olympics, while Nike’s plateaued (WARC, 2017). Furthermore, as UA celebrated its 20th anniversary triumphantly, this campaign was named AdWeek’s Ad of the Year and also won silver in the Global Strategy category for the 2017 AAAA Jay Chiat Awards for Strategic Excellence, which is the only industry honor given to account planning (Urbach, 2017; Turnbull et al., 2023; Under Armour, 2016).
