Under Armour and DOMO give us Access to Sport

Based on extensive research underscoring the “endless and critical” benefits for youths who participate in sports, and their communities, Under Armour’s commitments to reducing access barriers are rapidly scaling up. Following the U.S. launch, its Gift of the Game brand campaign is now being deployed globally.

Behind the :90 Access to Sport anthem film, and other cinematic assets focusing on a trio of young athletes, stands director André Stringer, and his multidisciplinary teammates at LA-based creative collaboration company DOMO. Drawing on his decades long history with the brand, Stringer served as DOMO’s Executive Creative Director and Director. DOMO’s team also included Managing Partner Rani Melendez, Creative Director Julian King, Associate Creative Directors Ginger Boyd and Christopher Fung, and numerous other creative talents.

“It was a great honor for us to help illuminate the Gift of the Game and highlight the barriers young athletes face accessing sports, so that we could find the right stories to rally the world around this incredibly important mission,” Stringer began. “Sport continues to be one of my foundational influences, and supporting the effort to bring that game-changing opportunity to millions of young athletes is profoundly meaningful to me.” The ‘gifts’ include connection and confidence – which are fundamental community building blocks, as well as being transformative influences for individuals and society-at-large.”

Through the exhaustive, research-driven development process where DOMO served as a creative partner to Under Armour’s in-house team, the breakthrough creative solution sprang to life.

BESPOKE, IN-DEPTH PRE-PRODUCTION APPROACH

Fully immersing themselves in the ideation process, DOMO relied on Under Armour’s extensive network of community-based organisations, and All of Us Casting, to activate a series of in-depth conversations. “Many organisations exist where access barriers are immense,” explained Boyd, who led the writing process for the group. “We spent a lot of time in dialogue with them and their kids, exploring the problems, the ways they manifest, and the benefits offered by participation in sports.”

“Following these leads and continuing to ask deeper questions, our connection with these athletes and communities deepened,” said King. As a key development step, the young subjects were asked to document their lives, emphasising the role of sports. By all accounts, the resulting videos were incredibly inspiring and impactful.

“This part of our process was about making our form fit the kids,” King continued. “The closer we got to those individuals, the more we were able to work in their communities, film in their worlds, and capture their authentic stories.”