Under Armour has lost a second marquee ambassador in under a year. Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson confirmed last week that his training brand Project Rock has ended its partnership with the sportswear label.
What happened
- Project Rock launched in 2017 and built footwear, apparel and accessories through the Under Armour relationship.
- Under Armour described the split as a natural conclusion after a decade long run.
- Product will remain on sale through October.
- It follows the November 2025 exit of Steph Curry, who later signed with Li-Ning.
Why it matters
- Under Armour says it is sharpening focus and creating a more unified expression in its train category.
- Translation: one coherent brand message is now preferred over a portfolio of celebrity sub brands.
- Johnson says Project Rock moves on to new north stars and new partners.
- Both sides are treating the ambassador model as a chapter, not a permanent asset.
The financial backdrop
- Q1 revenue fell 3%, with marketing spend rebalanced to a lower share of revenue.
- CEO Kevin Plank told analysts the marketing is not broken and simply needs tighter alignment with product.
- Plank framed the reset around effectiveness and return, not spend volume.
- Fewer, cheaper, more accountable partnerships is the clear direction of travel.
The replacement strategy
- New signings include Heated Rivalry star François Arnaud as global ambassador and K-pop group BoyNextDoor.
- The shift is from legacy athlete icons towards culture and entertainment audiences.
- Younger, global, fandom driven reach at a fraction of a decade long athlete deal.
What brands should take from this
- Celebrity equity rarely transfers to the parent brand. Ten years of Project Rock built Project Rock.
- Audit whether ambassador spend builds your brand memory or borrows someone else’s.
- Sub brands that can survive independently will eventually want to.
- Tie every partnership to a product story the customer can name, remember and buy against.
Our view
- This is not a celebrity problem. It is an attribution problem.
- A decade of rented cultural relevance never converted into a distinctive owned brand idea.
- The reset only works if new signings are measured against product led outcomes from day one.
- Expect more brands to swap single large ambassador contracts for smaller portfolio bets with clearer exit points.
What to watch next
- Whether Project Rock secures a new manufacturing partner before October.
- How Under Armour reports performance on the Arnaud and BoyNextDoor deals.
- Q2 numbers, which will show if lower marketing spend costs the brand top line growth.
