Balenciaga X Under Armour: A Risky Partnership?
Is This Collaboration a Misstep in Under Armour Brand Strategy?
Under Armour has teamed up with luxury fashion house Balenciaga. Following considerable speculation, the collaboration was officially unveiled at Balenciaga's Spring 2025 runway show in Shanghai on Thursday, May 30th.
This partnership reflects a long-growing trend of collaborations between sportswear and high-end fashion brands, making it a notable but not entirely unexpected development. With that said, this one doesn’t quite sit right with me.
Firstly, Balenciaga was embroiled in a high-profile public relations crisis that significantly tarnished its reputation only 18 months ago. The brand faced severe backlash for an ad campaign that was widely criticized for being in poor taste and insensitively controversial.
The fallout from this incident led to widespread negative media coverage and a consumer boycott, causing substantial damage to Balenciaga's brand image. By associating with a brand, Under Armour risks alienating some of its own customer base, who may not want to be associated with the negative connotations attached to Balenciaga. Secondly, there seems to be a fundamental misalignment between the typical consumer bases of Under Armour and Balenciaga, in my opinion.
Under Armour is renowned for its practical performance-focused sportswear, catering primarily to athletes and fitness enthusiasts who value functionality, durability, and affordability.
In contrast, Balenciaga's consumer base is largely composed of high-end fashion aficionados who prioritize luxury, exclusivity, and avant-garde design. The stark contrast in target demographics raises the question of whether there is any meaningful overlap between the two brands' audiences.
Brand partnerships should ideally be symbiotic, creating mutual value and enhancing both brands' appeal. Successful collaborations often occur when the brands involved share similar values, aesthetics, or market segments, allowing them to leverage each other's strengths to reach a broader or more engaged audience.
For example, Nike's collaboration with Dior on the Air Jordan line made perfect sense. Consumers of high-end brands like Dior also wear Jordans, as seen among rappers, athletes, and those who have aspired to live that type of lifestyle for the last 20 years.
Jordan shoes are also well-known to resell for much higher prices than retail, therefore, the consumers who can afford to are familiar with paying a lot of money for Jordan products.
There is strong alignment with the tastes and preferences of both brands overlapping consumer bases. This collaboration worked by tapping into a shared cultural context where luxury and streetwear intersect.
In the case of Under Armour and Balenciaga, however, the alignment appears a little off to me. Instead of complementing each other, this partnership risks confusing consumers about what each brand stands for.
Moreover, the high price points of the collaborative collection are unlikely to resonate with Under Armour's core customers, who typically seek high-performance gear at more accessible price levels, they don’t tend to spend thousands of dollars on clothing items.
While high-end collaborations can sometimes bring a touch of exclusivity and elevate a brand's status, this strategy seems misaligned with Under Armour's established brand identity and customer expectations.
Given Balenciaga's recent PR troubles and the apparent mismatch between the two brands, this partnership could do more harm than good for Under Armour. I don’t see it enhancing its brand equity.
I can understand why Balenciaga would do this, Under Armour has a clean-cut image which helps to move the needle on the public perception of the brand, and the collaboration fits into its very ‘buzz-worthy” list of collections.
Why Under Armour would? I’m not sure.
Thanks for reading, David Skilling
Let me know what you think in the comments.