Eric Liedtke will join Under Armour as Executive Vice President of Brand Strategy after its acquisition of Unless Collective. Under Armour says the transaction is expected to be completed later this week.
Unless Collective says, it is the world’s first all-plant, zero-plastic regenerative fashion brand. It is inspired by the Pacific Northwest. Liedtke will serve as Executive Vice President of Brand Strategy and be globally accountable for amplifying Under Armour’s brand identity and storytelling, its comprehensive strategic planning process, and executing transformational initiatives that accelerate growth for UA while continuing to lead and curate, Unless. He will report to President & CEO Kevin Plank and oversee UA’s brand presence through category marketing, consumer intelligence, creative, marketing operations, loyalty, social media, sports marketing, and all strategy functions.
After a 26-year career at Adidas Group (Adidas), culminating in his roles as Brand President and Executive Board Member from 2014 to 2019, Liedtke and industry executives from Adidas, Quicksilver, and R/GA set out in 2020 to found Unless and pioneer a better way for the industry to prove that plants could replace plastics in the creation of apparel and footwear.
“We are thrilled to welcome Eric and the Unless team to Under Armour. With Eric’s best-in-class history of driving exceptional growth in the branded sports industry and an established reputation as an exceptional leader, his experience will be a tremendous asset in galvanizing Under Armour’s brand strategy, refining our operating model, and ensuring that every facet of consumer engagement is moving our brand forward,” said President & Chief Executive Officer Plank.
