THE ULTIMATE TEAM TALK: WHERE AI BECOMES A WINGMAN TO TEAM SPORT ATHLETES
For Team Sport Athletes – the TEAM is everything. Their greatest incentive is not letting their teammates down as they work together as a collective force to elevate one another in the pursuit of achieving greatness.
In the realm of team sports, the power of individual talent is nurtured to its fullest only when combined into the spirit of a unified team. Like the threads of a tapestry, each athlete’s unique abilities and strengths are interwoven, creating a bond that transcends individual expertise. In this tapestry of teamwork, the reliance on one another isn’t just a choice; it’s the very essence of success and Under Armour acknowledges its mission to support all athletes in their journey to compete through passion, design, and the relentless pursuit of innovation and revolutionary tech and apparel.
In a world that is driven by technological advances both innovative and leading, Under Armour remains on top of trends when it comes to offering a deeper understanding of what it means to “Protect This House” – a slogan that has evolved in time alongside its athletes, exemplifying a message of commitment and passion. They’re taking to AI to make athletes better and the result is revolutionary.
So, what happens when AI and a brand like Under Armour collide? You’re met with a fusion of forward-thinking that exceeds the ordinary state of mind, and in this development, Under Armour reigns supreme.
Under Armour has utilised the power of AI to empower team sports athletes to Protect This House, presenting them with a dynamic tool that not only strengthens their athleticism but also inspires their mind, body and spirit. Under Armour is introducing new ways to make Protect This House meaningful and motivational by matching it with occasions of defiance.
How will they achieve such results? Under Armour will use AI to scan and analyse millions of keywords and thousands of impactful speeches to create a perfectly balanced motivational team talk. After analysing the narratives, tone and word construction of the greatest speeches in history, Under Armour will create a team talk that is scientifically proven to be the most motivational and moving team talk of all time, detailing the journey of athletes from the training ground to the pitch.
Forget overly polished TED Talks and unrelatable speakers, this team talk is going to be raw, emotional and full of hard-hitting real-life moments. But why stop there when we can take it one step further?
Under Armour is bringing man and machine together, to help make athletes better in a way that is innovative and authentic. Team sport athletes will be left with a hardened desire to Protect This House and see Under Armour as pioneering, bold and risk-taking.
To bring the speech to life, Under Armour partnered with acclaimed actor, artist, producer and director Ashley Walters. A true icon of British television and youth culture, he takes centre stage as ‘AI and machine’ is so cleverly fused, and the result = the ‘The Ultimate Team Talk’ – an inspirational speech harnessing the best possible language, sentence structure, cadence, and energy, designed to motivate team sport athletes ahead of any competition.
Channelling his grit and determination from his inner-city upbringing, Ashley’s performance is set against the backdrop of a gritty sporting environment that evokes the spirit of the Protect This House campaign TVC.
HERE AND NOW, WE STAND AS ONE. ON THIS FIELD, OUR BOND IS UNBREAKABLE.
The heart of the production is Ashley’s powerful speech, delivered with raw authenticity that resonates deeply with the team sports athlete audience. The AI-generated audio seamlessly weaves through footage of intense matches and dedicated training sessions by team sport athletes, capturing the essence of their commitment.
The speech leverages the power of AI and the latest large language model technologies, inputted with insights directly from Under Armour athletes such as Trent Alexander-Arnold (Liverpool), Antonio Rüdiger (Real Madrid), Laura Freigang (Eintracht Frankfurt), Alex Greenwood (Manchester City), Jayde Riviere (Manchester United), and Reuell Walters (Arsenal).
Each athlete shared in detail what motivates them, which mindset they need to be in to compete at the highest level, and which speeches from their coaches or other mentors impacted them the most.
TRENT ALEXANDER-ARNOLD, LIVERPOOL, 24, DEFENDER: “The mental aspect of the game is just as, if not more important, than the physical aspect. Our comeback win against Barcelona is the perfect example of that. I will never forget the team talk before that match, every single one of us believed it was possible. This ‘Ultimate Team Talk’ will hopefully give young players that same feeling.”
Get ready to be moved, motivated, and captivated as Under Armour brings you a piece of content that embodies the Protect This House spirit and empowers athletes to conquer any challenge that comes their way.
The ‘Protect This House’ campaign starts August 31st. The movement, which first rallied athletes two decades ago to defend their turf, returns in a new form, shifting focus to a mentality that’s bigger than going all-out for yourself, but for the team. When today’s athletes hit their breaking point, it’s their team that pushes them to keep going. That’s what Protect This House is all about.