Under Armour last week lost another longtime brand ambassador in Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, who announced Thursday that his training brand Project Rock has ended its partnership with Under Armour.
Project Rock was founded in 2017 and developed an assortment of footwear, apparel and accessories through its relationship with Under Armour. Now, the brand will focus on deepening its connection with customers and creating “innovative ways for more people to discover what training can build within them.”
Under Armour said in a statement that the partnership was coming to a “natural conclusion” after a decade-long run.
“As we sharpen our focus and strengthen our core business, we’re creating a more unified expression in our train category,” a spokesperson said. “We’re incredibly grateful to DJ and his entire team for their partnership, friendship, and everything we’ve built together over the past decade. We wish him and his team nothing but continued success.”
Under Armour will continue to sell Project Rock through October.
It marks the second longtime partnership that has ended recently — the athletic brand cut ties with NBA star and longtime brand ambassador Steph Curry in November last year. Curry went on to sign with China-based sportswear company Li-Ning.
“I’m grateful to Under Armour and to every person who helped us build this epic chapter of Project Rock,” Johnson said in a statement. “I’m proud of what we created together, and even more proud of all the people behind the scenes who poured themselves into Project Rock, and took great pride in making it their own … Now we move on to new north stars, new partners, and with one intention in mind — deliver for the people.”
As part of Under Armour, Project Rock formed partnerships with the UFC and extended its reach across Olympic sports, mixed martial arts and other arenas. The brand aims to carry on that training ethos to new products, storytelling and experiences, per the release.
With the end of two brand-defining partnerships, Under Armour is pivoting to new brand ambassadorships. The athletic retailer announced a campaign starring “Heated Rivalry” star François Arnaud last month and just a few weeks later announced K-pop group BoyNextDoor as brand ambassadors.
On an earnings call with analysts earlier this month, Under Armour founder and CEO Kevin Plank said the company’s marketing “isn’t broken,” it just needs to be better aligned with product.
“We'll continue to be visible, and we'll win with this consumer and continue to bring them to Under Armour,” Plank said. “But I'm proud of the way our marketing is working.”
The company reported Q1 revenue down 3% and said it has rebalanced marketing spend, which will now be lower as a percentage of revenue.
“Our marketing reset is not only about how much we spend, but how effectively we spend it and what the return ultimately is,” Plank said. “The point is to make each dollar work harder behind a brand idea consumers can understand, remember and purchase against.”
