I’d wondered about this. During the NFL draft, Under Armour rolled out some new commercials featuring the slogan “click clack.” I guess it is no longer so imperative for us to protect this house.
Anyway… click-clack, of course, is a term used for the cocking/loading of a gun, presumably before it’s fired into the chest of a motherfucker who has in some way disrespected a rapper.
Now, I don’t care… I enjoy the rap music, and hey, if I had my way, no one would be rapping about shooting people. But it happens, and I don’t think kids are going to kill each other because of an Under Armour slogan, or because Slim Thug has a song called “Click Clack” (and I’m pretty sure those lyrics — I was taught only reach for the heat if you bustin’ / So when lift this shirt that’s the end of discussion / Click-clack muthafuckas, I ain’t trying to hear nothing! — aren’t about cleats on concerete).
I do, however, wish Under Armour would just be honest about it. Clay Travis, in some nice work on SPiN on Sports, wondered about it, too, and he called Under Armour to get an explanation. They deny any reference at all to the hip-hop definition of “click clack.” They say it’s all about the sound that football cleats make on concrete, and nothing more. Here’s their explanation, again, via Clay Travis:
I contacted Under Armour, seeking comment on the duality of the “click-clack” message in youth culture. Steve Battista, vice-president of brand marketing, said as follows in a written statement: “We explain what the sounds represent in the commercial — it’s the last sound you hear before you step onto the field, the Click-Clack of cleats — it’s the whole point of the commercial … People take famous slogans and taglines and repurpose them for different purposes all the time. Hopefully they remain in a positive or motivational light …”
I’m gonna have to call bullshit on that one. Not only is it highly unlikely that they don’t know what it means, they chose it because of what it means. And again, I don’t have any kind of a huge problem with it, other than their borderline insulting denials, but… I’m guessing there are some out there, types like Hillary Clinton, or types like Bill O’Reilly, who would have a pretty huge problem with a marketing slogan that’s all about loading a gun. Under Armour shouldn’t take any less heat for it than any rapper takes for his lyrics.
Andy
First, I’m not sure I can think of a more redundant and awkward phrase then ‘repurpose them for different purposes’. Second, I’m very happy that the marketing execs at Under Armour are concerned about making sure that the tagline ‘click-clack’ remains in a positive and motivational light.
May 9, 2006 at 7:19 am
Adam
I’ll admitt, I’m not all that well versed in hip-hop anymore, but I honestly didn’t pick up on the potential duality of the tagline. The only thing I associated it with was the distinctive sound cleats make on concrete. I would assume that’s where most people who saw it would go with it also. I will say that the commercials are really goddamn stupid and annoying, especially since they were on every ten seconds during the draft.
May 9, 2006 at 10:31 am
Mr Furious
I’m with you on the bullshit call.
Perhaps they are just getting ready for the roll-out of their Body Armour.
May 9, 2006 at 10:36 am
Kn8
I don’t see this as any different than the jackasses who complained about the “Run and Gun” shoe or the trampoline used in the Nike commercials. I mean, if you’re going to go all Tipper Gore on stuff at least harass every company that does something remotely/vaguely referencing anything questionable. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have to go buy some under armor and prepare for my shooting rampage.
May 9, 2006 at 11:29 am
Taran
Two things:
1. I can’t get over the fact that the kid in the picture has a Mullet/Afro (a “Fromullet”? an “Afroullet”?); and
2. I giggle every time I see those stupid “Click-clack” ads because AJ Hawk has a lisp. Too funny.
May 9, 2006 at 2:46 pm
Wolverines!
I had an old children’s book that called a donkey an “ass” and a rooster a “cock”. I demand this book be censored because the meanings of said words have been mutated over time into curses.
May 9, 2006 at 5:36 pm
MrEleganza
I’m with Adam. I didn’t know about click-clack either, so the commercial seemed completely innocent to me. And I’m not totally out-of-touch. I know about and use the shocker! Oh wait, I learned about that here too…
May 9, 2006 at 8:36 pm