We'll just say it. Under Armour's football creative has been one of the more impressive runs of campaign work in the sport over the last year. 

The thread started with the Hakimi announcement. Shot by Lysa Thieffry, the reveal film placed Hakimi in a clean white space, his shadow expanding until it formed the Under Armour logo. Paris running through every frame without a single Eiffel Tower in sight. 

For a brand signing one of the most culturally visible full-backs in world football, they resisted every temptation to over-explain it. That’s its own kind of creative statement. The decision to lead with atmosphere over product also said something about where the brand sees itself going.

Then came ‘Be The Problem’, developed with Uncommon Creative Studio and directed by Leigh Powis. 90 seconds of surreal, cinematic football featuring Rüdiger, Torres, Hakimi, Konaté and Porro, with a voiceover from Tricky of Massive Attack. Water flowing upwards, harsh light, dreamlike on-pitch sequences. It drew comparisons to Jonathan Glazer and you can feel that in every cut. The kind of football campaign that didn't look or sound like a football campaign, which is precisely what made it work. It aired at halftime during Manchester United vs Arsenal on Sky Sports and felt completely out of place in the best possible way.

The Mansory collaboration added another dimension entirely. Shot by Lysa, the campaign brought a premium visual register that sat comfortably between luxury automotive and high fashion, anchored by Hakimi and Rüdiger facing off against the backdrop of a fashion show. For a brand historically associated with American performance gear, it was a deliberate repositioning.

The Magnetico boot campaign, shot by Daniel Sannwald, continued. Sannwald's work has a precision and visual weight that most boot campaigns don't come close to. Putting him on product felt like a considered decision rather than a convenient one.

Across all of it, Uncommon handled the creative platform. They've built a consistent visual language that's accumulating weight with each drop.

Football creative tends to default to the same toolkit: slow motion, stadium lights, inspirational narration.

Under Armour have spent the last twelve months building something that sits entirely outside that.

Shot of the good stuff.