Athletes, Activists, Spoken Word Artists Unite for Under Armour “Unlike Any” Campaign

Five female athletes move to the powerful echoes of spoken word artists in Under Armour’s “ Unlike Any.” Their triumphs and catalytic actions in their fields —dance, running, skiing, stunts and martial arts—are narrated into truly poetic short films that double as sportswear ads for women.

“As an idea points its toe to flex, to shape the form of possibility, I am testament twirled into afterthought, the touch and taste of epiphany,” rapper-poet Saul Williams pairs his words to ballerina Misty Copeland. And as she makes graceful motions across the screen in a sports bra and matching compression pants, we are reminded of her journey to become American Ballet Theatre’s first African-American principal. And Williams tops the film off with affirmation, “The oppressor’s graze ain’t all-seeing.” Copeland herself said of the campaign, “ It’s a reminder for every woman out there who feels less than because of unnecessary comparisons, that they are strong, unique and truly Unlike Any.”

With Copeland, another Under Armour vet, Alison Désir, joins the campaign. The long distance runner and activist among women’s rights and urban communities treks through the a wooded path to the sound of poet-activist Aja Monet. “I am a heel breaking the ground, the dust of toes, wings waving in the wind,” Monet speaks of Désir. The athlete dashes in a bright coral bra, running shorts, and white tank with the logo for Harlem Run, an organization she founded.

Olympic sprinter Natasha Hastings is also on board, and her story is narrated by poet-activist Dominique Christina. “I figured out how to fly, how to command my limbs of my immaculate womanness, the red lipstick warpaint,” Christina provides Hastings with her declaration. And Hastings makes way through the desert in marbled compression pants as bold as her lip color and hot pink sports bra underneath her white tank.

The other two in the campaign are brand newcomers: stuntwoman Jessie Graff and taekwondo champion/actress Zoe Zhang. Their movements are soundtracked to words by Kojey Radical and Aristophanes 貍貓.

The full Unlike Any campaign holds over 200 pieces of digital and social content and marks the Fall/Winter 2017 Women’s collection. Check out the films below and stay tuned to Under Armour’s website and app for more content releases from the campaign.

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