#IWill: Under Armour Campaign Sells a Message Worth Buying

I often think about advertising on my morning runs. Not in a "things I have to do for clients today" sort of way, but in a mind-freeing, creative sort of way. Over the years, I've noticed that pushing past the logical part of my brain that's telling me "Stop—this hurts," allows me access to the illogical, endless possibilities part of my brain. Some call this the right brain. I've never found another way in other than pushing myself physical. It's like self-inflicted hazing to prove that I'm right-brain worthy and can hang in the logic-less terrain of the unbeaten path. I tend to think that territory is pretty valuable real estate, especially in the ad world. And on a interesting side note, I've also noticed that all my creative heroes practice some sort of body-bending activity and how it often seeps into their analogies and creative solutions, as seen here in one of my favorite Alex Bogusky posts. 

The ride gave me a lot of time to think and I came up with a plan.

This morning I was thinking of this particular ad.

I thought about how, since I saw it the first time earlier this week, I've added distance and speed to my runs. I thought about how I sought Under Armour out on Facebook and have been inspired to push even harder by the comments left by other women. I thought about how, though I've never been brand loyal in the running clothes arena, I've moved all my Under Armour clothes to the top of the drawer and will seek them out next time I buy. And not because I've been brain washed or seduced subconsciously, but because I wholeheartedly believe that we vote for the world we want with our dollars, and because I want to reward companies who vote for the world I believe in with their dollars. 

And though I'm fully aware that this is an ad, intended to make me to all the things I've listed above, that knowledge does not taint the experience. Why? Because they've aligned themselves with a message that both sides of my brain, the logical and the subconscious, want to buy. I'm not torn between what I believe and what I want. And when those two things come together, everyone involved moves forward.

This ad has tangibly shaped my life. I've run further and faster every morning. I've remembered why that pain is worth it. And I've seen that if I can align my clients with a message that doesn't make people choose between what they believe and what they want, then I will be selling something worth buying.

#IWill

Guest post by Jen Wright, a social media strategist who runs through Detroit daily.