Under Armour’s call to arms

Created by Under Armour's in-house team and Zambezi, and directed by Wesley Walker, through Tool, the film enlivens motivational sports film tropes with unusual imagery – think packs of running dogs, athletes’ internal organs, polygraphs.

Twenty years after UA first introduced the Protect This House battle chant,  with the 2003 spot Breakdown, the brand has teamed up with new sports legends – basketball players Stephen Curry (pictured), Kelsey Plum and Aliyah Boston – to produce the campaign’s stirring hero film.

Crafted with outstanding editing and lighting design, the ad also boasts a spectacular soundscape and score, which ranges from exquisite strings to thumping drum beats. 

Wes Walker commented: "Sport is spiritual, and the transcendent aspect, the flow state, the inner fire, is the angle I wanted to see represented for Protect This House. There is a cost to greatness. Sacrifices required by the pursuit of excellence that go far beyond athleticism. We often see athletes stylised, gladiator like, perfect – but the truth is far more honest, austere and gritty."