Joshua’s Sportswear Sponsor Under Armour Launches ‘Inspired By Greatness’

Under Armour is a big backer and a big believer in Joshua and is using him as a flagship ambassador far beyond his home UK market.

Joshua and Under Armour both lay claim to being ‘the next big thing’ and therein lies part of the synergy and the strategic sense in the tie-up.

Both brand and boxer seem to be benefiting from their combined social activity: almost every post on his own platforms features a picture of the fighter wearing Under Armour gear.

The combination and the creative is certainly generating some solid engagement as far as fight fans are concerned – as illustrated by the early campaign metrics.

Within 24 hours of its release, the spot generated 317,583 YouTube views

Under Armour first added Joshua to its endorser stable back in early 2016 as it strengthened its boxing credentials via a three-year sponsorship deal which began with the boxer and his team promoting the brand’s training and in-ring apparel and its footwear range ahead of Joshua’s first (and successful) IBF title shot against champion Charles Martin.

Proud to be an @UnderArmourUK athlete! Great to have you in my corner #TeamUA #IWILL pic.twitter.com/epKqEbBIlk

— Anthony Joshua (@anthonyfjoshua) February 18, 2016

The deal saw the London 2012 Olympic gold medallist join Under Armour’s ever expanding roster of (largely) young athletes across a wide range of sports (from tennis star Andy Murray, to Dutch footballer Memphis Depay, and NBA super star Stephen Curry (plus already established athletes like quarterback Tom Brady and skier Lindsey Vonn).

‘Success only comes from investing time and effort in everything you do – something I hold close to my heart. With the same values, Under Armour is the ideal partner to help me achieve this and I’m proud to have them on my team,’ said Joshua when he penned his first UA deal.

‘Having Under Armour in my corner is a huge show of support from one of the world’s leading sports brands. I couldn’t ask for a better partner to help my performances, whether I’m training or in the ring; I’ll relish every challenge we’ll face in the future.’

While Chris Bate, vice president and managing director Europe for Under Armour, added: ‘Anthony Joshua encapsulates what our brand is about. He’s a man that has achieved greatness, and will continue to do so, through relentless passion, drive and determination. From the first sparring session to the last bell, Anthony will have our innovative footwear, apparel and training tools at his disposal. We’re proud to help Anthony every step of the way, as he establishes himself as one of the world’s greatest boxers.’

Then, a year later in February 2017 and reflecting his success and growing global appeal during the previous 12 months, Under Armour extended this relationship with a new multi-year deal.

The fresh alliance sees the Baltimore company continue to supply the IBF world heavyweight champion with his in-ring apparel, while Joshua lent his image to Under Armour’s future marketing campaigns.

‘I am delighted to be committing my long-term future to Under Armour,’ commented Joshua.

‘It is a partnership that has been incredibly successful to date, the brand has helped me increase performance with custom products and new technologies.’

Freddie Cunningham, the head of Joshua’s management team, added: ‘The deal is a real landmark not only for Anthony but also for British sport. He is attracting major interest internationally and this is his first real step on to the global scene commercially. The brand is a perfect fit for Anthony, young, inspirational and fast moving.’

Since then Joshua has regularly worn UA products in images (such as during training) across his own social media sites – particularly Instagram.

To my supporters, I thank you for your part in my journey. God bless

A post shared by Anthony Joshua (@anthony_joshua) on Apr 26, 2017 at 4:17pm PDT