For the new generation of Chinese women, exercise is no longer limited to working out on machines in gyms. It also means practicing yoga and aerobics at home, going outdoors for spring outings, and walking on city streets. At the same time, their demand for sportswear has become more complex: not only does it need to help improve athletic performance, but it should also be easy to mix and match with other casual wear.
The increased demand for sportswear among women has enabled sports brands to seize market opportunities. As a global leader in high-performance sports apparel, American sports brand Under Armour (referred to as “UA”) is actively expanding its target audience and focusing on meeting the apparel needs of Chinese women in increasingly diverse sports scenarios.
On the evening of March 29, Under Armour launched the latest “upgrade” of its women-exclusive “Sweat Beautiful” event at TX Huaihai, a gathering place for trendsetters in Shanghai. This event, called “Vivid Evolution Exhibition”, is an immersive interactive video experience that serves as a significant action for the brand’s image renewal and conveys the brand’s determination to “expand its circle” in China market.
Through extensions in crowds, scenes, and products, Under Armour hopes to present a fuller, three-dimensional brand image, allowing more women to enjoy a more vibrant sports and leisure life.
UA Women: Breaking Stereotypes, Strong and Vivid
Under Armour’s Support for Women in Sports
Since its inception, Under Armour has been committed to creating high-performance sports equipment to help professionals enhance their athletic performance:
In 1996, Under Armour’s founder, Kevin Plank, was the captain of the football team at the University of Maryland. At that time, the cotton sportswear worn under football gear was too hot and heavy after sweating, not only affecting performance but also potentially causing injuries during games. With the initial intention that “there must be a better choice,” he founded the Under Armour brand.
In 2010, Under Armour started to focus on the women’s sports apparel category, launching its first advertisement centered around female athletes. Almost simultaneously, Under Armour set its sights on the Chinese market, opening its first flagship store in Shanghai in 2011, quickly becoming well-known among fitness and sports enthusiasts with its professional, high-performance products.
After entering the Chinese market, Under Armour has supported numerous female athletes in their competitions, providing them with opportunities, professional teams, and equipment.
Currently, Under Armour’s endorsed Chinese female athletes include: professional volleyball player, 2016 Olympic gold medalist, and MVP Zhu Ting; professional golfer, 2021 National Games double gold medalist Lin Xiyu; mixed martial artist, Asia’s first UFC world champion Zhang Weili; professional football player, national team member Wang Linlin; and the first Chinese footballer to play in the Russian Women’s Football Super League, Yang Shuhui, among others.
“Sweat Beautifully,” Iterating Through Four Cities in Three Years
Female athletes have set examples for the general female population, deeply influencing the new generation’s health concepts and aesthetic views, and promoting the popularization of women’s sports and fitness culture. With the growth of female consumers, Under Armour’s “Sweat Beautifully” themed community events for women emerged naturally.
From 2021 to 2023, “Sweat Beautifully” was held in Hangzhou, Chengdu, Xi’an, and Shanghai. At the first event in Hangzhou, Under Armour’s endorsed athlete and UFC world champion Zhang Weili shared her journey with over a hundred female athletes present. After more than three years of operation and accumulation, it has become an IP owned by the Under Armour brand.
A retrospective of past “Sweat Beautifully” events
As Chinese women adopt a more relaxed attitude towards sports, the “Sweat Beautifully” theme event has also been upgraded and iterated. The latest “Sweat Beautifully” event in Shanghai TX Huaihai focused on the keyword “vivid,” expanding its target audience to every woman who advocates a healthy lifestyle, hoping that more women can enjoy the pleasure of sports without being confined to specific forms and venues, adding a touch of vitality and vigor to life.
From “Strong” to “Vivid,” Breaking the “Stereotype”
Since entering China, many women have been impressed by Under Armour’s loud brand mission “Under Armour Makes Athletes Better.” This brand essence not only has a strong appeal among female athletes but also resonates with a wider group of young women.
Adhering to this deep concept, Under Armour hopes to use this “Sweat Beautifully” event to convey the brand’s intention to expand its user base, allowing more Chinese women to draw on the brand’s positive energy, whether in the intense moments of sports or in the trivial moments of life, having a strong and stable core while being full of vivid and lively charm.
Covering “Hardcore Sports” to “Leisure Sports” Scenarios
Last week, one of the core business districts on Huaihai Road, TX Huaihai, unveiled a new look — a giant barricade at the street corner attracted attention. Starting from March 25, a piece of the “puzzle” was revealed daily, gradually unveiling the full view of Under Armour’s immersive video interactive space, symbolizing the brand’s evolutionary journey and attracting many young people to take photos and check in.
The “Sweat Beautifully” theme event kicked off on March 29 with a dynamic dance drama, where dancers interpreted the beauty of sports in a unique way.
In the core of this event, the “Vivid Evolution Exhibition” interactive space, Under Armour meticulously constructed five brightly colored, thematic areas, vividly showcasing how the product series evolves with various sports scenarios. These five thematic rooms include: a professional gym, a comfortable home living room, a relaxed running area, a tranquil outdoor nature space, and an avant-garde urban street.
From professional gym scenes to everyday sports leisure situations, these five interactive areas demonstrate Under Armour’s shift from performance equipment to cross-scenario sports leisure apparel through dynamic video technology, immersing participants in the brand’s diverse coverage from “hardcore sports” to “sports leisure.”
Focusing on “SPORTSTYLE” to Create a Sports Leisure Series for the Chinese Outdoor Group
In 2023, Under Armour first identified “SPORTSTYLE” (leisure sports) as one of its strategic priorities in its annual shareholder letter, aiming to launch a series of sports apparel products that balance outstanding performance with fashionable design. Some of these sincere efforts were presented at the “Sweat Beautifully” event.
At the “Sweat Beautifully” event, brand friend and singer-songwriter Nai Wan made a surprise appearance wearing the new UA Urban Outdoor series. This series is meticulously crafted based on insights into the lifestyle of China’s light outdoor crowd, stylishly blending urban functionality aesthetics with outdoor leisure style, and using advanced water-repellent fabric technology, allowing water droplets to easily slide off the fabric surface, meeting the wearer’s needs for seamless transition between urban and outdoor environments and adapting to various occasions, advocating a mix-and-match fashion style that can keep up with the urban pace while embracing nature.
The UA Meridian soft pants and Infinity series sports bras, beloved by female users, have also been upgraded.
The Meridian pants offer a delicate wearing experience like a second skin, with a product line including leggings, loose pants, and cycling shorts to meet the sports needs of different seasons, climates, and scenarios, and can also be worn as casual pants for everyday use.
The Infinity high sports bra, affectionately known as the “Little 8 Bra” due to its 8-shaped structure, is designed for high-intensity sports such as running, ball games, and athletics. It offers strong coverage and support while using Under Armour’s patented HeatGear® fabric to help keep the skin dry and comfortable. The adjustable cross-shoulder strap design enhances the fit of the wear.
As the “Sweat Beautifully” event in Shanghai successfully “upgrades,” a more vibrant and rich Under Armour gradually emerges.
After more than a decade of deep cultivation in the Chinese market, Under Armour has established a foothold in the professional sports apparel field. As “sports” seamlessly integrate into more and more women’s lives, Under Armour’s extension into “sports leisure” seems only natural. In the future, it is believed that more women who are passionate about practicing a healthy lifestyle will be inspired by the Under Armour brand spirit in diverse scenarios, achieving inner and outer strength and “vividness.”
| Image Credit: Under Armour
丨Reporter：Liu Ruixue
| Editor: Zhu Ruoyu
