Under Armour has tapped leggy supermodel Gisele Bündchen in a bid to raise the fashion profile of its women’s workout clothes.
Terms were not disclosed.
The move is the latest in Under Armour’s aggressive campaign to lure fitness-obsessed women away from rivals, including down-on-its-luck Lululemon.
The Baltimore-based retailer’s shares rose more than 4 percent to $71.13 on the Tuesday announcement, adding nearly $600 million to its market capitalization.
Over the past 12 months, Under Armour’s stock has nearly doubled, giving the company a market value of more than $15 billion.
Bündchen, who reportedly raked in $47 million in modeling gigs and endorsements last year, is joining the high-paid ranks of Under Armour endorsers — which happens to include her husband, Tom Brady.
In 2010, the square-jawed quarterback of the New England Patriots agreed to become an Under Armour pitchman in exchange for a minority stake in the company.
Under Armour’s fashion-focused gambit comes as it lost out over the weekend on a bid to lure NBA star Kevin Durant away from Nike with an endorsement contract reportedly worth $275 million.
A new series of TV ads featuring Bündchen launches Thursday, coinciding with the start of New York Fashion Week.
Other big endorsement deals for the 34-year-old mother of two include H&M, Chanel No. 5 and Pantene shampoo.
This summer, Under Armour trained its sights on women with a new, $15 million marketing campaign. A Web video that featured sinewy ballerina Misty Copeland went viral in July.