Top NBA Draft Prospect Emmanuel Mudiay Featured In New Foot Locker Commercials

Latest 'Approved' TV and Digital Spots Take Humorous Look at 'Life Changes After the Draft'

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Jun 22, 2015, 01:56 ET

NEW YORK, June 22, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Foot Locker, Inc. (NYSE: FL), the New York-based specialty athletic retailer, today launched on YouTube "Life Changes After the Draft" – a series of four, 15-second commercials with Under Armour featuring top-NBA Draft prospect Emmanuel Mudiay. The latest ads are part of Foot Locker's successful "Approved" marketing platform and comically examine Mudiay in real life situations before and after the Draft. Mudiay is featured throughout the series of spots sporting custom Under Armour player-edition ClutchFit Drive Low sneakers.

Incoming NBA rookie Emmanuel Mudiay discovers that everything changes after the Draft.

In "Gift," Mudiay gives his mother a fruit bouquet for her birthday. A year later, after the Draft, he gives her a new home. Before the Draft in "Brother," Mudiay introduces his brother simply as, "J-Mike," and after the Draft as his "brand manager and head of business development." In "Name Drop," Mudiay hears typical rap lyrics, but after the Draft, the lyrics intone, "…just got back from overseas like Emmanuel Mudiay." In "Magazine," Mudiay gets his latest issue of SLAM in the mail with Stephen Curry on the cover, and after the Draft, Mudiay graces the SLAM cover.

Each of the four spots will debut digitally on Foot Locker's YouTube channel and will be featured on NBA.com on Tuesday, June 23. The spots will make their television debut on ESPN during the first round of the NBA Draft presented by State Farm® on Thursday, June 25.

"The NBA Draft represents a once-in-a-lifetime experience, and we're excited to partner with Under Armour and Emmanuel Mudiay on this campaign," said Stacy Cunningham, Executive Vice President of Marketing at Foot Locker. "As we did with last year's campaign, we are bringing some light-hearted fun to the Draft with Emmanuel wittily demonstrating how different life is before and after the Draft."

"My journey has been defined by life-changing moments and without a doubt my NBA Draft experience will forever change my story," said Mudiay. "Being a part of Foot Locker's 'Life Changes After the Draft' campaign is something I'll remember as a special part of this experience, and it's exciting to know people will have an opportunity to see a fun side of my off-court life."

The "Life Changes After the Draft" commercial series headlines a big week of Draft activations for Foot Locker, which also includes the brand's fourth annual SLAM draft suite on June 23 and 24, where the brand will conduct exclusive interviews with some of the top prospects in the NBA Draft 2015 presented by State Farm and is available on Foot Locker's YouTube channel and social channels.

The "Life Changes After the Draft" campaign is part of the Foot Locker "Approved" marketing platform developed by BBDO.

About Foot Locker:
Foot Locker is part of Foot Locker, Inc., a specialty athletic retailer that operates approximately 3,500 stores in 23 countries in North America, Europe, Australia, and New Zealand. Through its Foot Locker, Footaction, Lady Foot Locker, Kids Foot Locker, Champs Sports, SIX:02, Runners Point, and Sidestep retail stores, as well as its direct-to-customer channel, including footlocker.com, Eastbay.com, and SIX:02.com, the Company is a leading provider of athletic footwear and apparel.

About Under Armour:
Under Armour (NYSE: UA), the originator of performance footwear, apparel and equipment, revolutionized how athletes across the world dress. Designed to make all athletes better, the brand's innovative products are sold worldwide to athletes at all levels. The Under Armour Connected Fitness™ platform powers the world's largest digital health and fitness community through a suite of applications: UA Record, MapMyFitness, Endomondo and MyFitnessPal. The Under Armour global headquarters is in Baltimore, Maryland. For further information, please visit the Company's website at www.uabiz.com.

Video - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WHwXRgb3Hgc&list=PLEs0-edzYFq7h3lBOZSZLiNhJ2aJyDDAL
Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20130806/NY59635LOGO

SOURCE Foot Locker, Inc.