Champion Taps Artists, Musicians and Athletes for Global Brand Campaign
Champion tapped diverse creatives to star in its latest global brand campaign.
The Hanesbrands-owned sportswear company on Wednesday announced the debut of “Champion What Moves You,” featuring the perspectives of artists, musicians and athletes from across the globe. The campaign coincides with the launch of the Champion Creators Program on Sept. 20, a platform that will allow creators to apply to collaborate with the brand. Those who are chosen will receive product blanks for use in creative projects, and $50,000 in funding to scale initiatives that demonstrate innovation, community impact and artistic ingenuity.
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The new campaign features six individuals with expertise across various disciplines from the U.S., the U.K., China, Japan, Latin America and Australia. According to Champion, the featured creators were chosen for developing projects that display mastery of their craft and underscore their values and goals to better their communities or advance a personal cause.
“We firmly believe that we are not defined by what we make, but by what we do with it,” said Vanessa LeFebvre, Champion president of global activewear. “In this next chapter of our brand story, we are redefining what it means to Champion—for us it is no longer a title or indication of winning, but rather, a means to take action and create something with real impact.”
Deaf writer, producer and sign-song rapper Kevin “SignKid” Walker aims to champion music accessibility by bridging the gap between the hearing and non-hearing world. He has translated British Sign Language and U.K. sign slang into a visual language for the deaf and hard of hearing. His work also reaches hearing individuals who want to learn sign language, the brand said.
“Growing up, I was unable to see any individuals like myself in the entertainment world, so I made it my mission to be that individual, to take up space and to make it an inclusive space,” Walker said. “Championing music accessibility is something that’s in my DNA.” The musician said teaming up with Champion has given him a canvas to share his story and his passion with a larger audience.
Another featured musical artist, Soulhan, said he has made it his mission to keep his language and culture alive through song. Cantonese is becoming less prevalent in China, and the rapper aims to preserve it through his music.
Champion What Moves You also features Joshua Marin, who founded Fix Your Kicks, a Chicago business that blends the shoe cobbling tradition with modern sensibilities. Marin, who worked at his father’s cobbler shop as a child, opened the business at the age of 19. His interest in street style and sneakers has led the shop to become a destination for sneakerheads looking to extend the life of their prized collections.
Ryota Daimon, a painter and skater from Japan, uses his graffiti-inspired art as a vehicle for self-expression and a way to promote mental health and healing from trauma.
Australian street artist Aretha Brown uses painting as a tool to bring awareness to the history and culture of indigenous Australians. As a 16-year-old, her speech at the Invasion Day protest in Melbourne in 2017 urged the nation to integrate indigenous Australian history into mainstream education. Two years later, she founded the Kiss My Art collective for young women and non-binary artists to reclaim public spaces through street art and murals.
Mexican women’s softball team Las Diablillas was also spotlighted by the campaign for challenging societal norms about female athleticism. The team of cooks, farmers, herders and seamstresses from ages 14 to 40 comes from a small Mayan town where participating in sport is highly discouraged for women. Las Diablillas, which translates to “Little Devils,” aims to break barriers and empower female athletes.
All Champion What Moves You honorees will be featured in the global marketing campaign, which includes social media posts and short videos illuminating their perspectives, beginning in September.
Parent company Hanesbrands has recently run into headwinds. This summer it announced job cuts as part of a $15 million cost-saving campaign and is closing this month its last cut-and-sew apparel factory in the U.S.
