24 Jun Under Armour to Receive CLIO Sports’ Brand Innovation Award
CLIO Sports, the international competition honoring creative excellence in sports, will reward Under Armour with the CLIO Sports Brand Innovation Award. The global apparel, footwear and equipment brand, led by Founder and CEO Kevin Plank, will be lauded for its creative impact on the sports industry during a July 17 ceremony at Cipriani Midtown in New York, hosted by ESPN Radio’s Mike Golic and Mike Greenberg of Mike & Mike in the Morning.
“From the start, Kevin Plank and his company have proven to be innovators not only in the products they offer and design, but the expert marketing campaigns that motivate people to perform at their highest level. We are proud to welcome them into the CLIO legacy this year.”
As part of this year’s first-ever CLIO Sports Awards, presented by Citi and HISTORY, the Brand Innovation Award celebrates a company that has revolutionized the sports advertising, marketing and communications landscape with leading product design and dynamic breakthrough campaigns.
“Under Armour is a brand with a storied history – from basement beginnings to a global takeover – that deserves recognition,” says CLIO Executive Vice President Nicole Purcell. “From the start, Kevin Plank and his company have proven to be innovators not only in the products they offer and design, but the expert marketing campaigns that motivate people to perform at their highest level. We are proud to welcome them into the CLIO legacy this year.”
Under Armour exemplifies the CLIO mission of fostering talent, inventive work and creativity. Utilizing innovative marketing campaigns, high-profile athlete ambassadors and sponsorships, the brand has grown from a start-up to a more than $2 billion international performance gear company. Brand defining campaigns such as Protect this House®, Click-Clack, and I WILL have cemented Under Armour in the sports advertising space. High-profile sponsorships highlight the breadth and depth of its reach, including its recent partnership with Notre Dame, reported to be the largest such collaboration in the history of collegiate sports, and the U.S. Olympic Speedskating team, which recently renewed its agreement through 2022. Under Armour also boasts a diverse roster of championship athlete ambassadors, with notable names such as Tom Brady, Lindsey Vonn and Michael Phelps, as well as rising star Jordan Spieth, who became the youngest winner on the PGA Tour in 82 years, and Stephen Curry, the dynamic NBA point guard. Most recently, Under Armour announced the addition of American Ballet Theater soloist Misty Copeland to its athlete family. Copeland, the first African-American ABT soloist in 20 years, will be featured in the brand’s upcoming women’s marketing campaign.
In addition to brand achievements, CLIO will also acknowledge Under Armour’s significant philanthropic and community efforts: UA Power In Pink, celebrating women who use fitness and exercise in their fight to combat breast cancer; UA WIN, providing athletes of the next generation access to sports; and UA Freedom, raising awareness of the nation’s military personnel and public safety officials.
“Our commitment to innovation and authentic storytelling is at the heart of everything we do and on behalf of the entire Under Armour team, we are extremely honored to receive this recognition and award from the CLIO Sports organization,” said Under Armour Founder and CEO Kevin Plank. “As part of Under Armour’s mission to make all athletes better, we continue to push the limits of innovation and deliver game-changing performance products to give athletes that little bit of an edge to help them perform at their best.”
Ceremony hosts, also announced today, are Mike Golic and Mike Greenberg of ESPN Radio’s Mike & Mike in the Morning. The sports-talk radio show premiered in 1998 and is carried by more than 310 affiliates nationwide. Golic and Greenberg are known for their playful banter, strong opinions and genuine joy in covering the hottest sports topics.
In addition, Rutledge Wood, host of HISTORY’s Top Gear will present an award during the ceremony.