Under Armour’s key focus was creating a strong presence within the Chinese market. To take the Chinese market by storm, we designed the sensory-challenging space specifically to transcend cultural and language barriers, and to translate the Under Armour brand into pure sight, sound, and form. We were challenged to successfully cultivate a relationship between the Under Armour brand and the Chinese consumer, who traditionally has a different understanding of sport culture. We helped potential Chinese customers see, hear, and feel the core values of Under Armour amidst China’s unique culture of athletics, training, and organized sport.

We employed a delicate blend of architecture, VFX, sound, and panoramic film depicting Under Armour athletes in intense training sessions. The experience unites a 270-degree panoramic film, architecture and lighting design, projection mapped surfaces, various AV technologies, and 10.1 surround sound. The film distills Under Armour’s essence into a blend of cross-category sports training, Under Armour athletes, and VFX. Visitors emerge from the film experience in a custom-designed, minimalist retail space with a few core products that introduce the audience to the fundamentals of the brand.

The Under Armour China Experience opened to the public in October 2012 as a six-month installation at the Jing An Kerry Centre in Shanghai, China. As part of Under Armour’s goal to expand into international markets, our retail experience allowed the Chinese consumer to identify with the Under Armour brand beyond the cultural differences between American and Chinese sports. The launch of the Shanghai store generated buzz about the experimental retail space, garnering press on PSFK, Most Contagious 2014, and Cool Hunting, among others.