Retail & FashionSports Direct × GAA Athletes — Under Armour Fitness Campaign
Galway stars Damien Comer and Paul Conroy fronted a Sports Direct / Under Armour campaign inspiring 16–25s to train regularly.
Overview
The campaign
Sports Direct Ireland partnered with Sport Endorse to source elite GAA ambassadors for an Under Armour campaign designed to inspire 16-25-year-olds to train more consistently. Through the Sport Endorse platform, Sports Direct secured respected Galway footballers whose credibility and influence helped localise a global sportswear brand for the Irish market.
The challenge
As one of Ireland's leading sports retailers, Sports Direct wanted to strengthen Under Armour's connection with younger Irish consumers by making the brand more culturally relevant and authentic.
While Under Armour has a global roster of elite athletes, Sports Direct recognised that Irish consumers-particularly GAA players and grassroots athletes-respond more positively to ambassadors they know, trust and aspire to emulate.
The campaign required access to respected county footballers who embodied discipline, performance and consistency, while avoiding the time-consuming process of sourcing talent, negotiating commercial agreements and managing athlete communications individually.
Sports Direct also wanted to create a campaign centred around behaviour change rather than simply product promotion, encouraging 16-25-year-olds to make regular training part of their weekly routine
The Sport Endorse solution
Using the Sport Endorse platform, Sports Direct Ireland was able to identify and secure athlete ambassadors who perfectly aligned with Under Armour's performance positioning.
Sport Endorse streamlined the ambassador sourcing process by enabling the brand to:
Identify athletes matching the campaign brief.
Review suitable ambassador profiles.
Manage athlete communications.
Coordinate commercial agreements.
Secure campaign participation through one platform.
The platform eliminated much of the manual administration traditionally associated with athlete partnerships, allowing Sports Direct to focus on campaign execution and creative production.
Athlete fit
The campaign featured Galway senior footballers Damien Comer and Paul Conroy, two of the county's most respected players.
Damien Comer brought leadership, physicality and elite performance credentials, having captained Galway and earned multiple All-Star nominations.
Paul Conroy offered experience, professionalism and long-term consistency, making him an ideal ambassador for Under Armour's training-first philosophy.
Together, the athletes represented more than sporting success-they demonstrated the commitment, resilience and work ethic that Under Armour encourages in athletes at every level.
Their authenticity helped position Under Armour not simply as performance apparel for elite professionals, but as a brand that supports anyone committed to improving through consistent training.
Deliverables
- Athlete ambassador sourcing through the Sport Endorse platform.
- Selection and contracting of two elite inter-county GAA footballers.
- Commercial rights secured for campaign imagery.
- Professional Under Armour campaign photoshoot.
- Lifestyle and training photography assets.
- Sports Direct Ireland digital marketing content.
- Social media campaign assets.
- Website and eCommerce creative.
- Retail marketing imagery.
- Under Armour brand content for the Irish market.
- Campaign messaging promoting training two to three times per week.
- Local ambassador campaign supporting Under Armour's Irish retail strategy.
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