Under Armour Uses Drones to Deliver Merchandise to Fans

If you’re searching for an example of a creative and interactive promotional campaign, then look no further. Just before the holidays, Under Armour invited Bay Area fans of Steph Curry and the Golden State Warriors to take part in an interactive scavenger hunt.

On Dec. 16, followers of Under Armour basketball’s Instagram and Twitter accounts were instructed to search for a “drop zone pin” on a Bay Area map that could be accessed on their smartphones. Once these “drop zone pins” were found, fans were given a QR code that would provide them with directions to a “Drop Zone.”

The #Curry4 #DroneDrop is live.

Scan the map and find the drop zones. https://t.co/PN16B0Pa97 pic.twitter.com/FhZgf7vM0e

— Under Armour Basketball (@UAbasketball) December 16, 2017

Lucky and diligent fans who followed these instructions were met with a drone delivery. Items delivered included Under Armour’s Curry 4 basketball shoes signed by Steph Curry and a range of branded gear and promotional merchandise.

Fans who received gear via drone drop were then encouraged to post about the experience on social media.

This promotion is notable for its use of a wide range of technology, including social media, digital mapping and QR codes. Its multilayered nature ensured that only the most dedicated of fans would get involved, in turn increasing the chances that these super fans would act as influencers for the brand on social media.

The interactive, multistep promotion also ensured that fans would be interested enough to participate. Who wants to stand in line to get gear signed for hours when they can have the chance to get signed shoes and other merchandise literally dropped from the sky? We don’t know about you, but that sounds like a much better, and more fun, use of time.

While we’ve been seeing some other companies conducting their own creative promotional campaigns by finding innovative ways to deliver merchandise, this one might just be the best yet. With this campaign, Under Armour has set the bar pretty high for how a brand can interact with consumers, and other brands should take note.