Neeraj Chopra's personal motto inspired Under Armour's campaign: Tushar Goculdas
Tushar Goculdas, MD of Underdog Athletics, tells us about the unconventional approach the brand took in crafting the campaign
A passionate discussion about personal philosophies between Olympian Neeraj Chopra and the Under Armour team gave birth to the tagline of the latter's latest campaign, ‘Zidd for More’. The film encapsulates the ace athlete’s motivations while also representing a fresh direction in the marketing efforts of the premium sportswear brand.
The 90-second film captures Neeraj Chopra during a spirited training session, painstakingly shot over a week in Turkey while he was undergoing strenuous training, the voiceover, unlike previous ad campaigns of the brand, is in Haryanvi-mixed-Hindi. This choice makes it sound like Neeraj's inner monologue, both during training and beyond. Tushar Goculdas, Managing Director of Underdog Athletics, Exclusive India Distributor and Licensee for Under Armour, took us through the film's conceptualisation.
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Neeraj has been associated with Under Armour for three years, with the brand creating new campaigns with him every year. This is his third campaign for the brand. Tushar also mentioned that in the last six years, Neeraj has competed in 26 events, achieving 26 podium finishes, including 22 golds, three silvers, and one bronze.
“People usually see the success but are unaware of the immense effort and discipline behind it. Neeraj leads an extremely disciplined life, training across continents for nearly six months and competing for four months, with limited time for friends and family. We wanted the next ad film with him to showcase these efforts,” said Tushar.
In March, while Neeraj was in India between two training periods, Team Under Armour and the creative agency Infectious met him briefly to discuss the campaign. During the conversation about motivators, Neeraj expressed in Haryanvi, “Har Taiyaari Se Badkar Hai Ziddari”.
The filming took place in April while Neeraj was training in Turkey. The team carefully positioned the cameras to avoid distracting or disturbing him, ensuring they remained discreet throughout. “During the shoot, Ramanuj Shastry of Infectious agency paid close attention to Neeraj’s interactions with his team. He crafted a beautiful script that perfectly captured the qualities we associate with Neeraj and our brand’s core beliefs,” said Tushar. He mentioned that while the tagline was changed to ‘Zidd for More’ for better retention, Neeraj’s personal motto remained the opening line of the script.
Talking about the choice to use a mix of Haryanavi and Hindi, a complete shift from previous ads where voiceovers in English were used over visuals of the athletes, he says that the decision was made to make it sound authentic. Tushar acknowledges that it was a bit of a creative risk. The script, he added, was translated to English as well as a more pure form of Hindi but the one in Haryanvi just had the right vibe.
Luckily for the brand, the ad was ready in time for three sporting extravaganzas - T20 cricket World Cup, Euro Cup and Wimbledon. “We have two market segments, namely athletes across disciplines and fitness enthusiasts. As a premium sportswear brand, big sporting events draw our target audiences too. TVCs during these events are a major vehicle of our marketing efforts.” said Tushar.
They also plan to cut short clips out of the ad, which has some poignant and impactful lines, for short content across social media platforms like YouTube and Instagram.
When asked about their stores across India, Tushar informed that Under Armour has 40 stores, most of which are inside malls. The locations of the stand-alone stores are all pretty upmarket too, like Brigade Road in Bengaluru and Banjara Hills in Hyderabad. “I consider the stores in malls as an out of home advertising opportunity as well, as we are able to get our existing customers to experience the brand while also communicating with probable new consumers,” he said.
Among the many global sports stars is Dwayne ‘The Rock's Johnson who enjoys a huge following in India as well. In fact, an entire collection is designed with inputs from The Rock. “As a brand, we like to collaborate with those who resonate with our values and look at sports and fitness as a lifestyle choice. Besides being a fitness icon, The Rock is also a super authentic guy. Authenticity is a common trait in all Under Armour athletes like Stephen Curry, Jordan Spieth or Anthony Joshua,” said Tushar.
“When selecting influencers to collaborate with, we prioritize shared values. Currently, we partner with influencers like Zoe Modgill and Ritesh Shaiwal who embody these qualities. “We avoid short-term tactics and gimmicky promotions. Our focus is on cultivating lasting partnerships with individuals who see fitness as a lifelong commitment,” said Tushar.
Apart from major cities like Delhi, Mumbai, and Bengaluru, Under Armour thrives in key metropolitan areas and expanding markets such as Hyderabad, Chandigarh Tricity, Pune, Ahmedabad, Surat, Lucknow, Jalandhar, Ludhiana, and Jaipur. Tushar added, “These markets show strong brand affinity and growth potential.”
He also mentioned that the brand recently entered Indore, and is preparing to launch in cities such as Bhopal, Raipur and Nagpur. All these cities, he said, have a vibrant scene of young athletes in sports like basketball and badminton.
