Under Armour: #Breakthegame
Under Armour faced a challenge: despite Stephen Curry's dominance, fans didn't strongly link him to the brand. Droga5 was tasked with owning the 2016 NBA Playoffs conversation and increasing footwear brand association among basketball fans. They needed a cost-effective way to compete with major broadcast advertisers while capitalizing on the shift toward two-screen viewing habits during live sporting events.
Creative Idea
Releasing unique three-second micro-ads on Twitter instantly every time Stephen Curry hit a three-pointer.
To bridge the gap between Stephen Curry and Under Armour, the brand hijacked the two-screen playoff experience by tweeting unique, surreal three-second micro-films instantly every time Curry hit a three-pointer, turning live highlights into branded rewards.
The Human Glitch Who Broke Video Game Logic
The 30 Hour Perfect Rating
In a first for the gaming industry, Under Armour and 2K Sports collaborated to "uncap" Curry’s digital avatar. For a 30 hour window - matching his jersey number - his NBA 2K16 rating was boosted to a perfect 99. This addressed a real-world dilemma where developers admitted Curry’s actual shooting percentages were so high they were impossible to replicate in the game’s simulation engine without "breaking" the balance of the software.
Hijacking the Second Screen
The strategy relied on extreme production foresight. Droga5 produced dozens of surreal, three-second clips in advance, anticipating Curry’s high-volume scoring. These micro-ads featured "glitchy" feats, such as Curry shooting with his eyes closed or literally marking the three-point line with a pen. The efficiency was unprecedented: the campaign achieved a 10x higher engagement rate than industry benchmarks and a 7x amplification rate through organic shares.
Impact Beyond the Timeline
While the campaign lived on Twitter, its influence was felt at retail. The buzz contributed to a 30% increase in Under Armour footwear sales during the 2016 fiscal period. By treating every three-pointer as a "trigger" for content, the brand successfully hijacked the playoff conversation without purchasing expensive broadcast airtime. As Executive Creative Director Tim Gordon noted, the goal was to turn every live highlight into an immediate branded reward, solidifying the narrative that Curry was a "human glitch" who operated outside the normal rules of basketball.
Creative Strategy Deconstructed
Company
Under Armour had the world's most exciting shooter but lacked a strong brand association with his historic on-court success.
Category
Sports brands typically rely on massive, pre-produced TV spots during expensive playoff broadcasts to reach basketball fans.
Customer
Fans were increasingly watching games with a second screen, seeking instant gratification and social commentary during live highlights.
Culture
Stephen Curry's performance was so dominant it was literally 'breaking' video game logic, creating a viral 'human glitch' narrative.
Company
Under Armour had the world's most exciting shooter but lacked a strong brand association with his historic on-court success.
Category
Sports brands typically rely on massive, pre-produced TV spots during expensive playoff broadcasts to reach basketball fans.
Strategy:
Synchronize brand content with live performance triggers to dominate the second-screen conversation through high-frequency micro-interactions.
Customer
Fans were increasingly watching games with a second screen, seeking instant gratification and social commentary during live highlights.
Culture
Stephen Curry's performance was so dominant it was literally 'breaking' video game logic, creating a viral 'human glitch' narrative.
Strategy:
Synchronize brand content with live performance triggers to dominate the second-screen conversation through high-frequency micro-interactions.
Results
The campaign produced 91 unique films over 2.5 months of original content. The ads were viewed in 53 countries, generating 130 million social media impressions. Most importantly, there was a 20% increase in global conversations linking Under Armour with Stephen Curry, all for less than the cost of airing a single traditional playoff TV spot.
130M
social media impressions
20%
increase in global conversations linking UA with Curry
91
original films produced
Strategy Technique
Hijack a Moment
By using Twitter to react instantly to live game highlights, Under Armour dominated the second-screen conversation during the NBA Playoffs without paying for expensive traditional broadcast spots.
Explore Technique
Creative Technique
Real-Time Relevance
The campaign synced digital content with live sports events, releasing micro-ads the moment a specific action occurred on court, making the brand inseparable from the athlete's real-time performance.
Explore Technique
Craft Breakdown
The campaign's brilliance lies in its real-time responsiveness and the sheer volume of high-quality, surreal micro-content that perfectly matched the speed of social media.
The strategy of using real-time triggers to bypass expensive TV buys is a masterclass in modern media placement.
The 3-second films utilize clever, punchy VFX like lightning and fire to create memorable, thumb-stopping content.
The scripts for the 3-second spots are incredibly concise, delivering humor and brand messaging in under 5 words.
The consistent, minimalist studio look of the 91 films ensures the brand is instantly recognizable across a massive volume of content.
The synergy between the real-time media trigger and the quirky, fast-paced visual content created a 'reward' loop for fans every time Curry scored.
