Umbro has unveiled its spring/summer 2023 pro training campaign, It’s a Training Thing, focusing on the positive impact exercise has on mental well-being.
Developed in partnership with agency Common Ground, the campaign intends to take the sports brand into ‘another sphere’, depicting training as a way of life.
As part of ‘It’s a Training Thing’, Common Ground produced a series of films and documentary photography that feature real people who train for their own well-being. The brand hopes to provide ‘genuine engagement’ between movement, mental well-being and the Umbro brand itself.
The two films follow a runner and a bodybuilder, who both use movement as a form of self-development.
Alex started running 10 years ago and is now a serious long-distance runner. “Training is about commitment to yourself and commitment to the future version of yourself,” he added. “It allows me to fill my day with moments that cannot be experienced in other ways and that can be very fulfilling.”
Emily is a bodybuilder and a personal trainer and for her training is an essential part of who she is. “If it feels like fun and it makes you feel alive again, I!m all about that. It should be play,” she said.
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Common Ground director and photographer, Chris Baker, added: “Training with some of the world’s leading practitioners has taught me how much training can do for one’s life. In these films, we captured how training builds resilience, promotes self-development, and fosters community connection. Our collaboration with Umbro allowed us to look beyond physical training, providing inspiration and hope for others.”
Umbro head of global brand marketing, Helene Hope, concluded: “We teamed up with Common Ground for our spring/summer 2023 Pro Training campaign. Telling stories of real people sits at the heart of our brand strategy, and so we were keen to find collaborators, who shared the same vision. We could not have found a better partner to bring their unique storytelling approach to the project – a truthful, empathetic, and visually beautiful approach.”
