In time for tonight's 2016 MLB All-Star Game, an Under Armour Running campaign from Droga5 New York debuts with a TV and digital spot titled “Numbers” which features National League MVP and four-time All-Star, outfielder Bryce Harper. Directed by Aoife McArdle via production houses Somesuch and Anonymous Content, “Numbers” tells Harper’s story through the voice of his high school coach, Sam Thomas. As he points out the numbers that have put pressure on Harper throughout his career, we see Harper training in an empty ballpark among visual representations of those numbers frantically emerging all over – from seat numbers to scoreboards to section numbers. The film ends on a monumental shot of his feet rotating on home plate, illustrating that in a sport dominated by numbers, the genesis of Harper’s brilliance comes not from statistics, but from the first step and pivot in the batter’s box.
The overall global marketing campaign is driven by the tagline “It Comes From Below,” showing that every great sporting moment starts with the feet and that strong footwork, while often overlooked, provides the foundation to defy expectations and achieve athletic excellence.
