Under Armour has stories to tell about its celebrity athletes

BALTIMORE -- The bold black lettering stretches 4 feet high on a wall of Under Armour's design studio: "No Art for Art's Sake."

It's not that the Baltimore-based company doesn't want stylish fitness apparel and athletic shoes. Rather, the slogan speaks to its ambition to infuse its products with meaning -- with stories about the histories and traits of the celebrity athletes they were created for -- in hopes of deepening its connection to the athletes and inspiring customers to buy more gear. So it is that Bryce Harper's black Camaro, Stephen Curry's beloved sour candy, Cam Newton's favorite college football rivalry and the University of Maryland's ties to Francis Scott Key all have been reflected -- or soon will be -- in shoes or uniforms.