Justin Jefferson, London On Da Track Star In New Under Armour Campaign
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Justin Jefferson and London On Da Track have teamed up to reimagine Under Armour’s “Protect This House” campaign. The pair spoke to VIBE about creating a song from the famous rallying cry. Jefferson handled the bars while London got busy behind the boards. Jefferson also revealed that A Boogie helped create UA’s new anthem with a co-production credit from Ziggy Made It.
Their newly crafted song soundtracks an accompanying commercial. The brand shot the “hero film” in Saint Rose, La., a suburb of New Orleans — Justin’s hometown. Under Armour’s new ad spot also features the NOLA HOTBOY$ — a 7v7 youth football program founded by Justin and sponsored by UA, dedicated to servicing young men throughout the Greater New Orleans area. The ad also pays homage to Southern Hip-Hop with shots of Under Armour grills, Cadillacs with UA pendants, iced-out chains, and customized shades.
And with the ad’s profound Southern Hip-Hop influence, you know JJettas and London played an essential role in the direction.
The Vikes’ wideout and the acclaimed producer told VIBE that the idea behind the campaign was to infuse a “new swag” into UA’s legacy. Regarding the TV spot’s direction, the duo also attributed it to how football and Hip-Hop culture go “hand in hand.”
“Yeah, it’s a new swag, it’s a new flavor. That’s what centers around me and my brand: the new swag, the drip, the jewelry on, and the ice. The whole commercial having grills in it, having the chains on… that’s the modern version of what kids are with and what they like now,” the NFL player explained. “You didn’t see kids before having diamond chains and grills on 20 years ago. So it’s a new vibe that I was happy to be a part of and happy that they put into the commercial. It’s all about authenticity and this joint [is] fire.”
“I feel like [Hip-Hop and football] stick together. We hand in hand, we like the same, we like and do the same stuff,” he added. “We just good at different things. So, the music helped the energy of the ‘Protect This House’ film come out. It helps the motivation. It helps the momentum. Even throughout our football games, we play rap. That’s what gets the fans involved. That’s what gets the team turned up into a level where they weren’t at 20 seconds ago before they played it.”
London also spoke to football and Hip-Hop’s intertwined connection. The artist also detailed why it was important to craft a song to honor UA’s storied mantra. “I think football is a part of the culture,” London said. “[Rap is] how they get amped. That’s how they get turned up before they come out and win. So they need to feel that. I feel like Hip-Hop is [anthemic]. It’s big. It’s like horns, it’s big sounds, that feeling to go out there and get that inspiration and motivation to win the games, I think it just aligns perfect. And it aligns perfect with Under Armour’s message to ‘Protect This House.’ Plus, I feel like the rappers always wanted to be football players, and the football players always wanted to be rappers.”
Celebrating two decades of the iconic slogan, UA tapped the Minnesota Vikings superstar to capture the spirit of the next generation of resilient athletes. Justin, who recently re-signed with Under Armour entering the new NFL season, detailed what it means for his legacy to be one of the company’s premiere ambassadors.
“I grew up not wearing Under Armour, so to come into the league with Under Armour, it was a whole new vibe and twist to what I’m accustomed to,” he continued. “And everything was perfect. [Especially] them giving me the things that I needed on and off the field and having that love and connection with me. Everything was smoother than the rest of the guys that I heard who joined other companies. Now, to have a new contract with them and to start a new journey with them, I’m excited to see what we come out with and the new things we have in store. I feel like this connection is now starting and building, and it’s about to be crazy coming up this season. Bet that.”
As for branching out and working on his solo music career, Jettas and London are currently cooking up. When asked whether or not Justin would get his own project in the future, the duo responded, stating they were “working on it.”
The “Protect This House” “hero film” premieres on Amazon Prime on Thursday (Sept. 14) when Justin and the Minnesota Vikings take on the Philadelphia Eagles for Thursday Night Football. Under Armour’s visuals will be teased in the game’s first and second quarters. The ad will be shown off in full during the two-minute warning before halftime.
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