Star-studded Nike ad calls out UnderArmour

March 24, 2008

If you watched any part of the NCAA basketball tournament over the weekend, you surely saw the “My better is better than your better…” commercials for Nike’s Sparq training gear. Both the gear and the commercials are clearly geared to thwarting competition from Baltimore-based Under Armour.

I know (or at least I think) I recognized a good number of professional athletes and coaches in the commercials, but the only ones I can put a name to are New Orleans Saints running back Reggie Bush, USC football coach Pete Carroll and soccer star Julie Foudy. Web Specialist Joe Bacchus picked out the Phoenix Suns’ Steve Nash and soccer player Landon Donovan.

Here are two questions: 1) What athletes did you recognize from the commercials?

And, 2) should Under Armour be worried that Nike is coming after it full throttle?

ED WALDMAN, Managing Editor/Business

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Posted by The Daily Record | Filed Under UnderArmour, advertising, business, sports 

Comments

6 Responses to “Star-studded Nike ad calls out UnderArmour”

  1. Randy C on March 24th, 2008 1:05 pm

    I also noticed LaDainian Tomlinson (AKA LT and probably one of if not the best player in the NFL). And if I was Under Amour I would definately be concerned about a company with the vast resources and reputable brand name such as Nike coming after me full-throttle. My only question to Nike would be, why now. Under Amour has been around for a while now, and has become successful brand for sports apparel . Is Nike starting to lose market share to Under Amour or does Nike finally see Under Amour as a viable and real threat to its business?

  2. D. Awes on March 24th, 2008 1:07 pm

    I also noticed Diana Taurasi, Adrian Peterson, and Brandon Roy.

    Personally, I don’t think many viewers will see this is as a shot at Under Armour. For athletes, the goal is to be better than the next competitor. This slogan speaks deeply to that desire. In fact, it’s so effective and specific that it rings on a personal level before you have time to consider “hey… what is eviil conglomerate Nike doing here?”

    As a competitive runner, seeing this yesterday immediately reminded me why I’ve run stadium stairs for hours in the summer heat. Isn’t that exactly what Nike wants?

  3. Ed Waldman on March 24th, 2008 1:13 pm

    My bad… it is LaDainian Tomlinson, not Reggie Bush (must be that darn Darth Vader shield he wears). And, upon further review, it’s Abby Wambach, not Julie Foudy.

  4. Efren Vergara on March 24th, 2008 10:49 pm

    Hope Solo is also in this commercial. Did I see Kevin Durant?

  5. AMW on April 9th, 2008 5:40 pm

    Could someone, anyone, tell me who wrote/performed the music in this ad?

  6. Lori on April 11th, 2008 11:46 am

    Saul Williams, “List of Demands”

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