FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
UNDER ARMOUR GIVES TWO TORONTO AREA MINOR HOCKEY TEAMS A CHANCE TO BE THE MAPLE LEAFS FOR A DAY
Global Performance Brand and Toronto Maple Leafs Launch Social Media Contest to Win the Ultimate Hockey Experience
Baltimore, MD (October 18, 2013) – Under Armour (NYSE:UA), the leading sports performance apparel, footwear and accessories brand, announced today that they are launching “Storm the Centre” for Minor Hockey Bantam and Midget teams in the Greater Toronto Area. Created in partnership with Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment (MLSE), “Storm the Centre” is a multi- faceted competition that will provide two minor hockey teams the opportunity to step on the ice at Air Canada Centre and be the Leafs for a day.
“Storm the Centre” will be hosted through the microsite StormTheCentre.ca. The program, which launches Saturday, October 12, will play out in several phases that require skills and determination on and off the ice, leading to the ultimate prize of ‘storming’ the Air Canada Centre to play the ultimate game.
“The Storm the Centre contest provides a great opportunity for our brand to work with world-class partners in Canadian hockey and design the ultimate hockey experience for Minor Hockey players,” said Corey Friesen, Director of Marketing, Americas, Under Armour. “Under Armour is all about making all athletes better at every level and this opportunity will be a once-in-a-lifetime chance for rising athletes to play like a professional for a day.”
The competition will consist of three periods. The first period will be six weeks of challenges documented through social media, at the end of which, five teams from each age division with the most points move on. In the second period, teams will be tested to show grit and teamwork necessary to advance. The third period is a Live Skills Gauntlet that will include average team speed, accuracy shooting, puck control, shootout, among others. The final five teams will then face off and compete. The two teams that demonstrate the highest level of skill will move on to the final prize – being the Leafs for a day by taking to the ice at the Air Canada Centre in front of fans, friends, family and NHL players. Both teams that make it to the finals will also receive Under Armour gear. The winning team will also get the Cup and a signature banner to hang in the rafters of their home arena.
The final game featuring the two winners will be held in January at the Air Canada Centre. Tickets will be made available to the general public.
The “Storm the Centre” digital experience was co-created and co-produced by the in-house Under Armour creative team and Philadelphia-based full service creative agency, Red Tettemer O’Connell + Partners.
For more information on “Storm The Centre”, visit StormTheCentre.ca or follow Under Armour at www.facebook.com/UnderArmour or @UnderArmour. To view exclusive videos, check out the www.youtube.com/underarmour page.
About Under Armour, Inc.
Under Armour® (NYSE: UA) is a leading developer, marketer, and distributor of branded performance apparel, footwear, and accessories. The Company’s products are sold worldwide and worn by athletes at all levels, from youth to professional, on playing fields around the globe. The Under Armour global headquarters is in Baltimore, Maryland. For further information, please visit the Company’s website at www.ua.com.
About Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment LTD.
Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment (MLSE) is one of the world’s premier sports and entertainment companies that owns the Toronto Maple Leafs (NHL), the Toronto Raptors (NBA), the Toronto Marlies (AHL), Toronto FC (MLS), Air Canada Centre, Maple Leaf Square and three digital channels — Leafs TV, NBA TV Canada and GOLTV Canada. MLSE has also invested in four of Toronto’s sports facilities — Ricoh Coliseum, home of the Marlies, BMO Field, home of Toronto FC, Lamport Stadium, and the MasterCard Centre for Hockey Excellence, the practice facility for the Maple Leafs and Marlies. MLSE operates and manages events at Ricoh Coliseum and BMO Field.
About Red Tettemer O’Connell + Partners
Red Tettemer O’Connell + Partners (RTO+P) is a full service agency that stops at nothing to make its clients unforgettable. They build ideas on every platform and through every discipline from Brand Planning to Interactive; PR, Social Media and Community Building to Design; and Media Planning and Buying to Broadcast Production. Within its red walls on both coasts, storytellers and trailblazers build brands on every platform you can think of…and some you can’t.
Red Tettemer O’Connell + Partners has played in just about every category and is currently having a blast working with clients such as Century 21; Coty Brands; Dial for Men; Fox Networks; Melting Pot Restaurants; Planet Fitness; Reyka Vodka; Right Guard; Swarovski; Ska Brewing; TuB Gin and Under Armour. For more information, go to http://rtop.com.
###
CONTACTS:
CJ Koluch
Under Armour, Inc.
410-336-1802
ckoluch@underarmour.com
Annie Heckenberger
RTO+P
267.402.1430
aheckenberger@rtop.com
