Under Armour’s Protect This House is Back from Tool’s Wes Walker

Under Armour’s Protect This House is back, and spoiler alert – it’s not going anywhere. 

Twenty years after UA cemented the phrase into the global sports vernacular, the brand is resurrecting the iconic battle chant to connect with today’s athlete mentality and breathe new life into what it means to be part of a team. 

To usher in this new era, Under Armour is working with current and future sports legends Stephen Curry, Kelsey Plum & Aliyah Boston. Why? Because this next chapter of Protect This House is not about repeating the past–it’s about meeting today’s athletes where they are and connecting with their motivations. Now, athletes go all-in and all-out for something bigger than themselves: their team. So with the help of Curry, Plum & Boston, UA is shining a light on the athlete mentality that embodies the Protect This House spirit in 2023.

From creative production partner Tool, directed by Wes Walker, Under Armour’s anthemic Protect This House film will detail the true grit it takes to fight for your team and breathe new life into what it means to be part of one. Zambezi worked with Under Armour’s in-house team to create the campaign, which marked the brand's first work with the agency.

Wes Walker, director at Tool says, "Sport is spiritual, and the transcendent aspect, the flow state, the inner fire, is the angle I wanted to see represented for Protect This House,” said Wes Walker. “There is a cost to greatness. Sacrifices required by the pursuit of excellence that go far beyond athleticism. We often see athletes stylised, gladiator like, perfect - but the truth is far more honest, austere, gritty. There’s a mentality shift that has to occur for athletes to go deep within and unlock their highest potential. Under Armour is the only sportswear brand sponsoring this mentality. It’s a no frills approach to doing what it takes to be your absolute best self."

Stephen Curry, 4x NBA Champion says, “Everyone has to come back to their roots at some point. And Under Armour is going back to its roots with the revival of Protect This House, but evolving it to apply to today. Twenty years later, Protect This House is still a rallying cry that ignites a fire within athletes–it’s about believing in yourself, having a sense of pride, and pushing yourself to your limit to accomplish greatness for yourself and your team, both on and off the court.”

“Back in the early 2000s when the anthem first launched, I wasn’t an Under Armour athlete, but I was a huge fan of the chant. So now, 20 years later and after 10 years with Under Armour, it’s really humbling to be part of this new generation of Protect This House.”

Kelsey Plum, WNBA champion, says, “To young athletes with big dreams: anyone can become a dawg. You just have to be consistent with how you show up. No one will hand anything to you, and you’re not entitled to anything in this life. If you want something, you’ve got to go get it–for yourself and for your team. That’s what it means to Protect This House.”

Aliyah Boston, college champion, says: “It’s an absolute honour to be working with Under Armour on the revival of Protect This House. When I hear those three simple words, I feel motivated to just keep pushing–for my family, my teammates on the court, and the women’s basketball community all over the world.”