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Under Armour backs the rise of the women’s sports economy

The Next Era of Football, Under Armour, US

US – American athletic brand Under Armour has unveiled Click Clack: The Next Era, a new campaign reimagining its original Click-Clack football advert from the 2000s, to spotlight the women redefining flag football today.

Launching on National Girls and Women in Sports Day, the campaign positions women’s sports as a fast-emerging cultural force – a key shift we highlight in our Women’s Sports Economy report.

In the film, athletes wear Under Armour’s new HeatGear Elite baselayer, powered by Neolast stretch technology, alongside the Click Clack Hi Viz cleat. Performance pieces are styled with elevated garments sourced from the Albright Fashion Library in New York and Los Angeles, signalling a convergence of high-performance and fashion-led self-expression.

Beyond marketing, Under Armour is investing directly in the sport’s growth. The brand has announced a £730,000 ($1m, €840,000) grant to support girls’ flag football initiatives through equipment, funding and coach education. It is also the official performance apparel partner for nationwide organisation Unrivaled Flag, reaching 100,000 young athletes annually across its leagues and events.

Explore our Next-Gen Sports report to see how emerging formats are accelerating fan engagement and attracting investment beyond traditional sponsorship.

Strategic opportunity

Invest in women’s sports infrastructure – fund grassroots access, equip emerging leagues and build long-term partnerships that translate cultural momentum into scalable participation, loyalty and future revenue

Levi’s launches Wear Longer Project to teach Gen Z clothing repair skills

Global – Levi’s has unveiled the Wear Longer Project, a new education initiative designed to equip young people with practical skills to repair, refresh and personalise their clothes. Launched in partnership with Discovery Education, the programme responds to a growing knowledge gap around garment care and longevity.

Research commissioned by Levi’s in 2025 found that while 35% of Gen Z consumers would keep their clothes longer if they knew how to fix or customise them, 41% report having no repair skills at all. The Wear Longer Project aims to address this gap by promoting creativity, confidence and sustainability in a fast-fashion-dominated landscape.

The initiative will roll out across three touchpoints: a free, year-round digital curriculum; in-classroom lessons delivered by trained teachers and Levi Strauss & Co. employee volunteers; and community workshops led by employees and local partners.

‘Every year, millions of wearable garments end up in landfills, many taking centuries to decompose,’ said Alexis Bechtol, director of Community Affairs at Levi Strauss & Co. ‘By teaching repair, customisation and sustainable care, the Wear Longer Project interrupts that cycle.’

All resources are classroom-ready and freely accessible via the Wear Longer Project website.

This aligns with findings from our Repair Renaissance report, which unpacks how the most innovative retail spaces are evolving into skill-sharing hubs, embedding circularity through community-led repair workshops.

Photo by Varun Gaba via Pexels

Strategic opportunity

Shift from abstract sustainability claims to tangible actions by embedding repair, care and customisation, turning brands into educators that build skills, loyalty and longer product lifecycles

Stat: Britain’s stiff upper lip still shapes modern masculinity

Where Taste Recognises Taste by Uncommon for Depop, UK

UK – A new YouGov study of 4,403 UK adults highlights how attitudes to crying are still deeply gendered in Britain. Half of UK consumers say they cried in the past month, yet this masks a stark split: 71% of women compared to just 30% of men. More strikingly, 27% of men say the last time they cried was over a year ago, rising to 40% among men aged over 65.

Women are consistently more emotionally expressive across scenarios. At least half say they would cry in 14 of 16 upsetting situations, from bereavement to reading a sad book. By contrast, men are likely to cry in just three: the death of a loved one (84%), the death of a pet (61%) and even chopping onions (55%).

The survey highlights how outdated masculinity continues to shape men’s attitude to emotions and vulnerability. Our Decoding Masculinity report explores how future-forward brands are trying to crack the manosphere by offering heathier models of masculinity and inviting their consumers to rewrite what being a man means to them.

Strategic opportunity

Brands can build deeper connections with male consumers by amplifying authentic, diverse male voices, championing emotional depth and showcasing role models who embrace vulnerability – shaping campaigns and experiences that redefine masculinity