*Steph Curry wasn’t the only household name to sit out the Olympics this summer.
Under Armour missed a giant advertising opportunity during the 2016 Rio Olympics, but seems to be risking its image at another international event: New York Fashion Week.
“What an unfortunate missed opportunity,” said Scott Becher, executive vice president of sports and entertainment at Zimmerman Advertising in reference to the Rio Olympics and the lack of major advertising Under Armour took part in.
According to Bloomberg, plenty of athletes still displayed the Under Armour logo at the Olympic games — including 23-time gold medalist Michael Phelps and members of the popular USA women’s gymnastics team — but the company’s most popular athlete was nowhere to be seen in his Under Armour attire.
Steph Curry, the two-time NBA MVP and one the most popular athletes today, did not make the trip to Rio this summer. He would have been on the gold medal-earning Team USA men’s basketball team.
“Under Armour lost a chance to make a global statement,” Becher added.
Despite Under Armour’s missed chance, the company still had big plans on the other side of the world, in an unfamiliar place for the sportswear company.
As of 2013, the global sportswear apparel market was valued at roughly $150 billion, but after this September’s New York City Fashion Week, that number could increase if Under Armour gets its wish.
The Baltimore-based company isn’t sending models out in cleats and football helmets, but they are showcasing a new line of apparel that’s “forged from the field and built for life,” as CEO Kevin Plank put it.
The Motley Fool reports that the new line, called Under Armour Sportswear (UAS), could potentially be worth $15 billion.
“It’s about bringing a new consumer into the Under Armour brand,” said the company’s official statement. “UAS will bring a young, fresh, and modern voice to sportswear and reflects the insights we’ve gained as a performance brand now applied to the everyday wardrobe.”
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