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Under Armour “Rule Yourself” 2016

Under Armour “Rule Yourself” (2016) is an Under Armour commercial directed by Martin de Thurah for Droga5, produced by Epoch Films. It won 8 awards, including Cannes Lions 2016 Film Craft Grand Prix (Direction), AICP Post 2017 Winner National Campaign and Adweek Best Ads of 2016 #1.

Michael Phelps trains relentlessly, pushing his body to the limits in the pool and gym, enduring pain and solitude, all to achieve greatness and rule himself.

Video: Under Armour Middle East on YouTube

Shot by shot

  1. A wide shot of a dark, still swimming pool with lane lines, as ripples appear in the water.© Under Armour0:00
  2. A male swimmer's muscular back is seen in a cold plunge tub, with a thermometer visible in the foreground, as he endures the icy water.© Under Armour0:26
  3. A muscular man with dark hair, seen from behind, hangs from the top of a hyperbaric chamber, his back muscles flexed, in a dimly lit, high-tech room.© Under Armour0:31
  4. A man in a dark tracksuit stands by a neglected swimming pool, seen through a window from inside a house.© Under Armour0:35
  5. An underwater shot shows a male swimmer in a white cap and goggles swimming freestyle next to a yellow lane divider in a pool.© Under Armour0:38
  6. A male swimmer with a beard, wearing a white swim cap and goggles, swims butterfly stroke in an outdoor pool at dusk.© Under Armour0:40
  7. A male athlete lies on his stomach as a therapist applies cupping therapy to his back in a dimly lit room.© Under Armour0:44
  8. A swimmer's foot pushes off a starting block, then plunges into the water, creating a splash in a bright outdoor pool.© Under Armour0:47
  9. Michael Phelps, a male swimmer, is seen underwater in a swimming pool, pushing off the wall and creating a splash.© Under Armour0:50
  10. A male athlete, Michael Phelps, hangs upside down from an inversion table, his face flushed from exertion in a dimly lit gym.© Under Armour0:55
  11. A bearded man in his 30s, wearing a grey t-shirt, runs on a treadmill with a determined expression in a dimly lit gym.© Under Armour0:56
  12. A male swimmer, wearing a black cap and goggles, swims freestyle in a pool, creating splashes and bubbles around him.© Under Armour1:02

Stills © Under Armour. Made by Droga5, Epoch Films and Martin de Thurah.

Every shot, full-quality frames and clips, and search across every commercial. Free account.

The idea

Show the unseen, grueling training behind Michael Phelps's success.

Tagline: “IT'S WHAT YOU DO IN THE DARK THAT PUTS YOU IN THE LIGHT. RULE YOURSELF. I WILL.”

athlete's journeyrelentless training montagesolitude of greatnessdark and moody aestheticovercoming physical painbehind-the-scenes look

The cut

Length
89 s
Shots
58
Average shot
1.5 s

What creatives use Under Armour “Rule Yourself” for

  1. 01Reference frames for your treatment

    Pitching something with the feel of Under Armour “Rule Yourself”? A screenshot from a video player won't hold up in a deck.

    Download any frame of this spot at full quality, with its credits, or search every spot for the same look.

    A wide shot of a dark, still swimming pool with lane lines, as ripples appear in the water.© Under ArmourA male swimmer's muscular back is seen in a cold plunge tub, with a thermometer visible in the foreground, as he endures the icy water.© Under ArmourA muscular man with dark hair, seen from behind, hangs from the top of a hyperbaric chamber, his back muscles flexed, in a dimly lit, high-tech room.© Under ArmourA man in a dark tracksuit stands by a neglected swimming pool, seen through a window from inside a house.© Under Armour
    Frames from Under Armour “Rule Yourself”

  2. 02Shot list example: how it was cut

    You need the structure of a great spot, shot by shot, for your storyboard.

    Every shot of Under Armour “Rule Yourself” in order, with its length, framing and what happens in it.

    A wide shot of a dark, still swimming pool with lane lines, as ripples appear in the water.© Under ArmourA male swimmer's muscular back is seen in a cold plunge tub, with a thermometer visible in the foreground, as he endures the icy water.© Under ArmourA muscular man with dark hair, seen from behind, hangs from the top of a hyperbaric chamber, his back muscles flexed, in a dimly lit, high-tech room.© Under ArmourA man in a dark tracksuit stands by a neglected swimming pool, seen through a window from inside a house.© Under ArmourAn underwater shot shows a male swimmer in a white cap and goggles swimming freestyle next to a yellow lane divider in a pool.© Under ArmourA male swimmer with a beard, wearing a white swim cap and goggles, swims butterfly stroke in an outdoor pool at dusk.© Under Armour
    Length: 89 s · Shots: 58 · Average shot: 1.5 s

  3. 03Ad ideas: every spot built on a athlete's journey

    Before you present an idea, you need to know who has done it, and how.

    Under Armour “Rule Yourself” is built on a athlete's journey. Search the library by idea to see every spot that uses it.

    Nike “Awaken Your Madness”© NikeCasablanca x New Balance “Casablanca x New Balance - Feat Coco Gauff”© Casablanca x New BalanceNbc “NBC Olympics - Shaun”© NbcUnder Armour “Michael Phelps”© Under Armour
    Nike · Casablanca x New Balance · Nbc · Under Armour

More commercials by Martin de Thurah

More from Droga5

Award-winning sport commercials

Questions

Who directed the Under Armour “Rule Yourself” commercial?

Martin de Thurah directed it, produced by Epoch Films, for the agency Droga5.

Which agency made Under Armour “Rule Yourself”?

Droga5 created it for Under Armour (2016).

What awards did Under Armour “Rule Yourself” win?

8 awards, including Cannes Lions 2016 Film Craft Grand Prix (Direction), Cannes Lions 2016 Film Craft Gold (Cinematography), Cannes Lions 2016 Film Craft Gold (Use of Licensed / Adapted Music) and Cannes Lions 2016 Film Gold (Durable Consumer Goods).

What is the tagline of Under Armour “Rule Yourself”?

“IT'S WHAT YOU DO IN THE DARK THAT PUTS YOU IN THE LIGHT. RULE YOURSELF. I WILL.”

Sources for the credits and awards

epochfilms.comAds of the Worldczar.beLBBThe WorkThe WorkThe WorkThe WorkThe Workaicpawards.comweb.archive.orgweb.archive.org