Sportswear company Under Armour has released a film urging the next generation of athletes to create problems for the opposition.
Created by Uncommon Creative Studio, “Be the problem” features Under Armour’s roster of football talent, including Real Madrid’s Antonio Rüdiger, Barcelona’s Ferran Torres, Paris Saint-Germain’s Achraf Hakimi, Liverpool's Ibrahima Konaté and Tottenham Hotspur’s Pedro Porro.
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta, Under Armour’s new global brand ambassador, also appears in the campaign.
The 90-second film shows a montage of football players as a voiceover by musician Tricky says: “You’ve been told a hero will come to the rescue. Answer your prayers. And deliver salvation.”
Players are shown training, playing and pushing themselves to their limits as intense music accompanies the visuals.
More abstract imagery comes into play when the voiceover says, “Spoiling a party is a purpose. Breaking things, patterns, systems, and expectations is a gift.”
Scenes depict a party, water from a tap defying gravity, a black cat, a butterfly and a couple kissing in the rain.
The voiceover calls the ball a “source of control” and urges athletes not to be the solution, but the problem instead.
It was directed by Leigh Powis through ProdCo, with cinematography from Harry Wheeler.
The work is launching in the UK, France and Spain. The film aired in the UK on Sky Sports' Super Sunday at halftime during live coverage of Manchester United vs Arsenal.
The fully integrated platform will span film, out-of-home, activation, and social. The campaign’s first major moments will unfold around key Premier League, Ligue 1 and La Liga fixtures.
Across Europe, large-format OOH, special builds and social content will drop throughout August and September.
Media, planned and bought by MG OMD, has been designed to take over "unexpected spaces" to catch the attention of football audiences.
