Under Armour's "Rule Yourself" ad starring Michael Phelps gives viewers a peek at the world's most decorated Olympian training for the upcoming games.
Now, the 90-second film, set, fittingly, to "The Last Goodbye," is competing as well, as a strong contender for a Lions award at this year's Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, Adweek reports.
"Everyone loves the spare, haunting beauty of Droga5's Michael Phelps ad for Under Armour," Adweek's Tim Nudd says. "But originally the commercial was going to have a lot more copy."
Here's a video of Droga5's chief creative officer, Ted Royer, talking about creating the ad, courtesy of Adweek.
When the Under Armour ad was released in March, Baltimore native Phelps said it accurately shows the grind and sacrifice of his daily routine.
"It really is who I am and what I do," Phelps said of the spot, adding that he's going into his final Olympics determined to give 100 percent, a change in attitude from four years ago. "I'm on top of every small thing. The small things end up making a big difference in the end."
lorraine.mirabella@baltsun.com