Key Takeaways
- Under Armour created Lab96 Studios, an in-house content studio, to produce content ranging from 30-minute YouTube videos to extended social media series
- The studio targets Gen Z and Gen Alpha consumers who increasingly skip traditional TV commercials
- Projects include a high school football series with Overtime featuring IMG Academy and St. Frances Academy, plus docuseries on women’s flag football
- Under Armour plans to build a state-of-the-art studio and podcast space at its Baltimore headquarters
- The studio name references the company’s 1996 founding and early experimental culture
Under Armour is betting that the future of athletic brand marketing looks less like a 30-second Super Bowl spot and more like a YouTube documentary series. The athletic wear company launched Lab96 Studios, an in-house content production arm designed to create long-form content that meets Gen Z and Gen Alpha athletes where they actually consume media.
Breaking Free from the 30-Second Format
The studio represents a fundamental shift in how Under Armour thinks about reaching younger consumers. Tyler Rutstein, senior vice president of global brand and Americas marketing and the studio’s executive producer, described the traditional advertising model as limiting.
“We’ve been sort of handcuffed by, ‘Do a 30 second spot. Do a 15 second spot.’ That no longer exists,” Rutstein explained. The company now wants “an open playbook where we can evolve our content strategy just based off of consumer habits and consumption across the platforms.”
That flexibility means Under Armour can produce YouTube videos up to 30 minutes long, create multi-part social media series, or develop shorter content tailored for specific platforms. Traditional TV commercials remain part of the strategy, but now function as one component within a larger content ecosystem rather than the starting point.
Youth Sports Takes Center Stage
Recalibrated focus toward youth sports initiatives and Gen Z engagement strategy.
The user specifically asked me to focus on the opportunity for Gen Z/Gen Alpha and Under Armour youth sports. I should emphasize the youth sports projects more heavily. Let me make sure I’m being specific about the projects mentioned and their youth sports focus.
The source mentions:
- “We Are Football” – features rapper Gunna, NFL athletes, and “emerging stars in women’s flag football”
- High school football series with Overtime – featuring IMG Academy and St. Frances Academy
- Docuseries on women’s flag football with SMAC Entertainment
- Baseball series with Boardroom
I should focus more on the youth sports angle and what this means for reaching young athletes. Let me revise to make this more central.
Several of Lab96’s initial projects focus directly on youth and high school athletics, positioning Under Armour to build relationships with athletes years before they reach professional sports.
The studio partnered with Overtime on a high school football series featuring IMG Academy and St. Frances Academy, two programs with national profiles and rosters filled with future college and professional prospects. This approach gives Under Armour extended storytelling opportunities with elite young talent in authentic competitive settings.
Women’s flag football receives significant attention through multiple projects. The studio’s unofficial debut in September came with “We Are Football,” a short film featuring rapper Gunna alongside NFL athletes and emerging stars in women’s flag football. A separate docuseries on women’s flag football is being produced with SMAC Entertainment. This focus aligns with the sport’s rapid growth at the high school and youth levels, particularly as states add sanctioned programs.
Under Armour also launched a baseball series with Boardroom, adding another youth sports pipeline to its content strategy.
The Gen Z and Gen Alpha Opportunity
The studio’s creation reflects a straightforward reality: young athletes consume content differently than previous generations. Traditional TV commercials reach fewer Gen Z and Gen Alpha consumers, who spend more time on YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, and other platforms where they control what they watch and when.
Lab96 allows Under Armour to create content that feels native to these platforms rather than like advertising inserted into them. A 20-minute YouTube documentary about high school football players has value to young athletes as actual content, not just as a vehicle for product placement. The same applies to podcast episodes, behind-the-scenes series, or extended athlete profiles.
The studio will also help Under Armour form partnerships with independent creators who already have audiences among young athletes. These collaborations could generate content ideas that feel more authentic to youth sports culture than traditional brand marketing.
Rutstein emphasized that content can be adapted for different uses. “We can take a film that we might do that’s three to five minutes long and still find ways to inject it into your 60-second NFL commercial,” he said. “That 60-second linear TV framework is just one part of a much larger content ecosystem.”
Building Infrastructure for Long-Term Production
Under Armour is investing in physical infrastructure to support the studio’s work. The company plans to build a state-of-the-art studio and podcast space at its corporate headquarters in Baltimore.
This permanent facility signals the company views Lab96 as a long-term strategic investment rather than a temporary marketing experiment. Having dedicated production space in-house gives Under Armour more control over content creation timelines, costs, and creative direction.
The studio’s name connects to the company’s origin story. Kevin Plank founded Under Armour in 1996, and early employees were encouraged to approach their work with an experimental mindset. Lab96 carries that founding ethos into the company’s content strategy.
Strategic Implications for Youth Sports Marketing
Under Armour’s approach addresses a challenge facing many athletic brands: how to build loyalty with athletes who may not make purchasing decisions for years but who form brand preferences early.
By creating content that young athletes actually want to watch, Under Armour positions itself as a storyteller in youth sports, not just an equipment supplier. Athletes who follow a Lab96 documentary series about high school football or women’s flag football develop familiarity with the brand through entertainment rather than through direct advertising.
The focus on emerging sports and athletes also gives Under Armour opportunities to establish presence in growing markets before they become saturated. Women’s flag football is expanding rapidly at the youth and high school levels. High school sports content through platforms like Overtime reaches millions of young athletes and their families.
This content strategy may prove particularly valuable as youth sports becomes more fragmented across digital platforms. Parents and young athletes increasingly discover programs, follow athletes, and consume sports content through social media and streaming services rather than traditional sports media. Lab96 positions Under Armour to be present in those discovery moments.
via: Variety / under armour
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