Under Armour’s recent “ZIDD FOR MORE” campaign, featuring Olympic gold medalist Neeraj Chopra, has achieved significant reach in the Indian sports apparel market. 

The campaign, created by Infectious Advertising, showcases Chopra’s intense training regimen and personal philosophy.

According to Social Samosa, the India Sports Apparel Market is valued at $673.34 million and is projected to reach $1,926.10 million by 2029, with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 16.2% from 2023 to 2029. 

This growth is partly attributed to increased government support, with the sports budget rising to $401.6 million in 2020.

Under Armour’s Campaign Strategy

Under Armour’s campaign centers on Chopra’s “ziddi” (stubborn) mindset, capturing his training sessions over several days. 

The film opens with “Har Taiyaari Se Badkar Hai Ziddari” (determination is greater than every preparation), reflecting Chopra’s approach to overcoming challenges.

The campaign aimed to inspire young athletes and fans by highlighting Chopra’s training and reinforcing Under Armour’s role in supporting high-performance athletes. 

The creative team engagedly conveyed Chopra’s personal story of determination.

Challenges included authentically capturing Chopra’s training without disruption and ensuring the narrative aligned with his personal beliefs. The production team adopted a “fly on the wall” approach, filming Chopra’s training regime.

“Through this campaign, we endeavor to inspire all athletes and strengthen Under Armour’s position as India’s most loved athletic performance brand,” Tushar Goculdas, Managing Director of Underdog Athletics, Under Armour’s exclusive India distributor, said in a statement.

“It’s great to have Under Armour supporting me, not just with the high-performance gear that enhances my performance during my training and competition, but also in sharing my journey to inspire the next generation of Indian athletes,” Chopra stated.

Launch and Influencer Involvement

The campaign launched on TV during the T20 World Cup, followed by Instagram and YouTube. 

Several influencers, including Ritesh Shaiwal, Paridhi Doshi, Bhavna Harchandrai, and Anahat Singh, promoted the campaign on social media platforms.

Results indicate the campaign reached over 200 million viewers, garnered over 22 million engagements, and led to a 40% increase in website traffic. A #Ziddformore social media challenge received over 2,000 entries.

This reflects the potential of India’s creator economy sector.

Kofluence’s recent report revealed that India’s influencer marketing industry will continue to grow. 

By 2028, over 80% of brands are expected to spend up to 30% of their marketing budgets on influencer collaborations. Total industry spending is projected to reach $2.8-3.5 billion.

Even political parties targeted the nation’s massive young voter base through creative social media campaigns.

Indian online travel company MakeMyTrip recently launched a new advertising campaign tapping non-Indian content creators who speak fluent Hindi.