Work Submission: Under Armour Searches for Undeniable Spirit

Think social media savvy High School Musical mashed up with the dancing football player number from Glee. Or at least, that's what I imagine the winner of RT+P and Under Armour's new contest to deliver. Hopefully the challenge--surfacing as the most "undeniable" school in the nation--will unite the nerds, thespians and LAX bros in order to not only protect this house, but also shout its presence to the world. Here's the pitch:

Fresh off the heels of the juggernaut social initiative for Under Armour, “The Ultimate Intern Team”, the digital team at the top performance apparel brand is launching a massive UGC competition for US high schools called “Undeniable.” Red Tettemer + Partners are behind the concept, creative and development of the inaugural program. Essentially, schools are going to have three months to compete and upload proof of pride and performance, by completing a variety of challenges and acquiring votes, all played out on a socially-charged microsite.

The challenges will range from uploading a video of students performing an original cheer to featuring the town mayor speaking on behalf of the school’s Undeniable. Each school’s page will become a living scrapbook of that particular school’s Undeniable spirit. The winning school will be awarded $140k worth of uniforms, footwear and accessories to outfit their athletic teams.

THE TEAM (CREDITS)

Chief Creative Officer: Steve Red
Executive Creative Director: Steve O’Connell
Creative Directors:Bill Starkey, Todd Taylor
Tech Lead:Aaron Grando, Eston Bond
Editor:Vic Carreno
Account Executive(s): Carla Mote, Uri Weingarten
Social Media: Annie Heckenberger, Ryan Olah

My only wish is that there were an art school version of this. Where is Bic, donating money to schools for cool pens? Or Sculpey, going all social with sculpting? The fact that I had to rack my brain in order to think of art brands probably means something. Conversely, the intersecting U and A are becoming as ubiquitous as Nike's swoosh (or getting there, at least. That's a large cushioned shoe to fill). The power of sports is just, well, undeniable.