Nike and Under Armour are two of the most well-known sponsors for sports teams across the world. From jerseys to team merchandise, their logos are recognizable to anyone regardless of their interest in sports. They promote athletes throughout their social media platforms and show these sports players wearing their gear. These images are typically accompanied by an encouraging phrase about how anyone can perform like this professional athlete when they wear their clothes. An example of this is from Under Armour’s post with Bryce Harper, the professional baseball player:
“Look good, feel good, play great. Inspired by the game of baseball’s rhythmic movements, @bryceharper3’s latest signature cleat + trainer were designed to help you create maximum damage without distraction. Get the best of both worlds with the #Harper4. Tap to shop.”
While these are some high standards, Nike and Under Armour consistently highlight renowned names such as football player Tom Brady and golf pro Rory McIlroy. In contrast, Lululemon and Athleta take a different route in terms of what they promote on their social media. Rather than focusing on famous athletes, they show models in their clothes or highlight a trainer. While all four brands share empowering stories Nike and Under Armour emphasize physical strength and empowerment in their captions. Lululemon and Athleta do the same but are more about mental strength and empowerment.
When researching the four brands I found a common theme of gendering amongst them. Nike is “a company built on masculinity” but attempting to move into a more inclusive brand (Strauss 2021). Under Armour has a similar problem as they started out based around football and this mentality of a boy’s club has become an integral factor of how the company operates. They have been making efforts to diversify but “it’s still viewed by most people as a very masculine brand” (Barker 2017). In contrast, Lululemon is a very feminine brand, “for example, yoga, which put Lululemon on the map, is overwhelmingly perceived as a female-gendered activity” (Danziger 2020). This has caused people to associate the brand with women and intimidates men. Athleta is a female-only brand, therefore, making them a very feminine company. These instances of gendering surrounding the brands themselves can be seen throughout their products such as the color choices used, pastel vs. dark or neon colors, or the clothing styles, more fashionable vs. conventional.
This is very clear in the posts as the women look more feminine in the Lululemon and Athleta posts through the activities they are performing and the way they are styled. Athleta has their models pose in less athletic scenery or poses and instead create a more feminine vibe. Being a female-driven company, they maintain this important part of their company through their branding. They aren’t trying to show professional athletes performing rather they are showing that they are a brand for normal people, one can meditate in their clothes, or one can dress up and venture outside. These various representations of what the brands portray their female models doing reflects how they are either fulfilling gender norms or steering away from them.
Credit: Deep Breathing by Athleta. Public domain.
Credit: Rainier Tight by Athleta. Public domain.
Nike styled the women more feminine than Under Armour which felt like very generic and plain clothing as all four of the female models were shown in neutral colors. Nike highlights many inspiring female athletes and in one of the posts in particular they are trying to change the gender norms. A Women’s National Basketball Player tells her struggles of breaking into the male-dominated sport and throughout the video is seen in athletic gear and jerseys, it isn’t until the end clip that she is seen wearing a white dress but with a serious face. She is seen holding the basketball but wearing a pretty feminine outfit in comparison to her athletic attire worn in the rest of the video, which in terms of gender norms, is not very feminine.
Credit: Mid Crossback Bra by Under Armour. Public domain.
Credit: WNBA Baller Sabrina by Nike. Public domain.
For the male posts, there was a common theme amongst all three of the brands Nike, Under Armour, and Lululemon. Every man was pictured doing some form of physical activity whether that be lifting weights, playing football or baseball, or just working out in some way. The only exception to this theme was one of the Lululemon posts where he is pictured sitting on the ground laughing but to be fair, he is still in a gym setting. Excluding this one Lululemon post, the men are seen looking focused and serious in whatever activity it is that they are partaking in. These themes align with the notion that men are supposed to be strong and serious about their physical health. Men want to seem masculine therefore they must make themselves look motivated and intense while working out. Showing off their talent and performance is another form of masculinity that is seen here. While this Under Armour post is selling their new headphones sponsored by Duane Johnson (AKA The Rock), the image makes it hard to focus on the merchandise when his muscles are the center of the screen. Male dominance is vital in masculinity and appearance and strength show one’s dominance physically.
Credit: Ambassador Jermaine by Lululemon. Public domain.
Credit: The Rock Headphones by Under Armour. Public domain.
These brands are using their platforms to portray gender norms whether they realize it or not. As an athletic brand showing men working out doesn’t seem out of the ordinary however the way the men are portrayed can play into gender norms and expectations. Showing athletes perform in their sport fulfills what the brand is intending but images such as the one of The Rock only fuel the idea that men have to look big and strong to be masculine. With women they play into gender norms through the activities they are performing or the clothing they are wearing. Whether it is a feminine activity such as yoga or meditating or wearing pink or a dress, these all align with stereotypical female norms.