Under Armour

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Under Armour NASDAQ: UARM is a brand of clothing headquartered in the United States designed for use in sports. It is most often worn underneath uniforms (like baseball or basketball jerseys) or pads (like football or lacrosse shoulder pads). Under Armour led the trend of form-fitting, moisture-wicking performance apparel which was soon imitated by Nike, with their Dri-FIT Pro line, and by Reebok, with their NFL Equipment line.^[1]

In June of 2006, Under Armour released a brand of football cleats using the slogan "Click-Clack."

1 History
2 Spokesmen
3 References
4 External links

[edit] History

The company was founded in 1995 by former University of Maryland football player Kevin Plank, who had captained the Terrapin special teams.^[2] Remembering how he had to change cotton T-shirts that were soaked with sweat several times a game, he developed a prototype of a microfiber T-shirt (based on his compression shorts, which were made of a similar material) designed to keep a player dry and light during intense physical activity. He quickly persuaded two college teams, both located in warm climates, to purchase his gear: Georgia Tech, located in frequently hot and humid Atlanta, and Arizona State, in the searing desert of the Phoenix area. The NFL's Atlanta Falcons shortly followed suit. Since then, the number of teams using Under Armour gear has increased to include the vast majority of NCAA Division I-A football programs. The company also makes clothing for many other sports.

Under Armour's corporate headquarters is located in Baltimore. In 2003, the company began running ads with a football "warrior" theme and the tag line "We must protect this house!" voiced by Dallas Cowboys defensive end Eric Ogbogu (the company continues to use this tag line to this day). In 2004, Under Armour designed the uniforms for the Maryland Terrapins football team, and ran a commercial featuring Terps coach Ralph Friedgen.

On November 18, 2005, Under Armour released its IPO. The stock had the second highest increase in share price ever for the first day of trading, debuting at $13, and doubling to close at just over $26 per share.

In December, 2005, Under Armour announced a five-year deal to be the official outfitter for all of Auburn University's athletic teams. In March, 2006, a similar deal was announced with the Texas Tech University football team.

In August, 2006 Under Armour joined Nike and Reebok as the only other authorized footwear supplier for the National Football League.

In 2006, Under Armour let the Carroll Dragons from Southlake, Texas wear custom made UA jerseys. The Dragons have won 3 out of the last four state title games in class 5A in Texas.

[edit] Spokesmen

[edit] References

^ Baltimore Business Journal Analysts: Brand crossover risky for Under Armour "Under Armour's shirts, shorts and accessories are made with moisture-wicking fabrics that pull sweat away from the body. They've become the industry standard even as Nike, Reebok and other companies have tried desperately to overtake Under Armour as the performance apparel leader."
^ UABiz.com Company History