Misty Copeland Teams Up With Under Armour For Inspirational Video

Being a trailblazer is never easy. It means you are going to face plenty of opposition to get where you need to. In the case of dancer and ballerina Misty Copeland, it was being a poor girl from the south with an African-American background going into the cutthroat world of professional dancing.

But in true pioneer form, she is now the first African-American soloist at the American Ballet Theatre in over 20 years. She is still the only black dancer at the company today, amongst 80 other professionals. So yeah, you could say she definitely stands out from the crowd.

During her career she has danced for Prince, and has been getting media attention that most dancers can only dream of. She recently became a spokesperson for apparel brand Under Armour, and while the label has mostly been marketed to men, Misty marks a shift in their marketing direction. It seems as if female empowerment is now part of their message, and the 60 second commercial below proves it.

They couldn’t have chosen a more perfect representative for their “beat the odds” message, which is part of their new I Will What I Want campaign.

“Under Armour is starting a new conversation with women. One that celebrates the WILL to find inner strength and to follow no one,” states the website.

In the video we see Misty warming up, stretching her muscular body, at the same time we hear a voiceover reading out what sounds like a rejection letter.

“Dear candidate, unfortunately, you have not been accepted. You lack the right feel, Achilles tendons, turnout, torso length, and bust. You have the wrong body for ballet. And at 13, you are too old to be considered.”

“Misty Copeland’s destiny was not to be a ballerina. But will trumps fate,” says the description below the Youtube video.

We aren’t told whether that is an actual letter received by Misty early in her career, but that message juxtaposed with the sheer power and skill displayed by her in the video henceforth reiterates that when you will something to happen, every rejection can seem insignificant.

It’s not the first time a major brand is fine-tuning their message to target women’s insecurities in a way to inspire them. Dove, Pantene and Always have been very prominent in this landscape, but Under Armour is typically know for being a male-targeted brand so it is unique in that aspect.

The video is made brilliantly, and the message is powerful. While it may skew female, it is a note that resonates with both men and women, because rejection is no respecter of gender. We’re certainly excited to see more videos like this from the jock brand. Keep it up Under Armor!