The #UAForge96 is back, releasing across three colorways on Feb. 8. Check out the lookbook featuring local creatives from Baltimore and captured by UA Teammate and heralded photographer, Devin Allen: https://undrarmr.co/2Bp0dX1
Source: UA Forge 96 returns for Season II
I don’t know who or what has happened at Under Armour in the last few months, but there is a consistency in marketing that I’ve never seen before from the brand. I don’t want to move too fast, but I can drop a series of links that show how bad UA was at marketing. I can also give you a timeline for when the company began to fall apart. I can deliver you a compelling theory that explains how Connected Fitness drained vital resources from marketing and left Curry’s line in the dust. I could do that… but what I’ll do instead is share a post on the UA Forge after Under Armour decided to get rid of UAS and combine their Lifestyle with their Sportswear division:
Under Armour/UAS the Integration Starts with the UAS Forge 1 Mid
When I saw the first Forge I thought it was very good. The problem was UA didn’t put any storytelling or marketing behind the product. I also liked the use of the UAS logo as opposed to the UA logo. The Forge 2 arrives and since UAS is no longer around they’ve resorted to the UA logo, but they’ve done so via a monochromatic design that allows the logo to blend into the shoe. That’s a bonus:
The dad shoe trend isn’t quite over so the chunky outsole aesthetic remains a point of emphasis for every brand. Under Armour signed A$AP Rocky a year ago and my little voice complained like hell because I’ve been wanting UA to utilize their athletes in campaigns. Cater to those that love you was my reasoning and A$AP, as soon as the cameras from UA turned off, was rocking Nike and Jordan Brand on stage.
In this current campaign for the Forge 2 UA has taken a page from my book in what I call conquer your region. The brand made an effort, during Black History Month, in Baltimore to give a Black photographer the reins in this photo shoot. This will go over the heads of most people who will see pics of the footwear, but if I can do anything to promote this I will. I love the use of Baltimore based photographer Devin Allen for this lookbook.
The UA Forge 96 sneaker is back, kicking off spring with the introduction of UA Sportstyle’s Season II product line. The first chapter of this follow-up collection includes three new colorways of the Forge 96, as captured for the lookbook by award-winning Baltimore-based photographer Devin Allen. This season, he followed an ultra-creative group of all Baltimore natives working across disciplines that define the energy, creativity and free spirit of the city.
Somewhere inside of the halls of UA I hope that someone is saying, let’s keep this launch limited and local. As fantastic as I think this launch of the Forge is, I’ve picked up two pair of Puma RS in the last two days signifiying that Puma has maintained their growth. They’ve capitalized on the chunky sole trend with a shoe that is dope. UA is attempting once more to shift into sportswear and while the campaign and pics are incredible if I was sitting in the room I would have asked if this was a local launch. On a local level the lookbook is a success. A pop up for the shoes with the models/influencers acting as the sales team would deliver a unique experience that could be replicated in other cities creating an entirely different launch strategy. (UA you can pay me for that idea.) I have a feeling however that this will be a national launch and doing so without the athletes, once again, I think is a huge mistake.
When UA hosted their Investor’s Day last year they spoke of the Focused Performer and how they would look towards peformance first. The Forge is not a performance model. It breaks the recent pattern for launches. The CH1 was right on time for the niche hunting category. The Curry finally has commercials. The Valsetz Boot for Chino Braxton was a nice play and each of those utilized the athletes. I would have loved to see Natasha Hastings, Dennis Smith Jr. and Ed Reed (Hall of Fame time) photographed by Devin. I love that it’s local and if this launch is local then this is fine, but as a national launch I want the athletes.
Still it’s a dope lookbook. Use the source link above to view more pictures.