How PREGAME® Is Using Creator-Driven Storytelling to Redefine the Warmup

Jordan P. Kelley, Content Director, BrandStorytelling

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In a crowded performance and wellness market, brands often compete by touting discipline or recovery. PREGAME®, however, is taking a different path, making the warmup not only essential but aspirational. Under the leadership of President/CEO Roy Ward and marketing strategist Tyler Blue-Owens, PREGAME® has embraced organic, creator-driven storytelling to shape both the image of its products and its broader mission. Instead of leading with product specs or traditional advertising, the brand is focusing on cultivating a community of athletes, trainers, and lifestyle creators who embody the value of preparation. By tapping into the personal rituals of its ambassadors and integrating authentic narratives across social media and real-world touch points, PREGAME® has built a movement where the warmup becomes a daily story of readiness, resilience, and personal expression.

BrandStorytelling caught up with Ward and Blue-Owens to learn more about how and why the brand is building a brand growth strategy around creator and ambassador-driven storytelling.

What is PREGAME, and what gap in the performance or wellness market were you aiming to fill at launch?

Roy Ward: PREGAME® is the only lifestyle brand company focused on The Athletic WarmUp. We have developed advanced technology which makes workout preparation simple, effective, easy and features designs catering towards Consumer Personal Style. I'm passionate about making people feel more confident, more capable, and more motivated to take care of their bodies before problems occur. After seeing the clinical side of healthcare for decades, I recognized there was a white space opportunity to impact sports by reimagining the warmup. PREGAME® is the answer. There is a critical gap between preparation and prevention which needs to be as engaging and essential as the game itself. To encourage consistency, we focused on developing something that not only works but also makes athletes feel motivated by tapping into the most effective design combined with a sleek style. As an athlete myself, I understand that when warmups are effective and enjoyable, they will become a non-negotiable part of the routine and part of one's ritual which is Everyone's Story.

Tyler Blue-Owens: We aren't interested in creating another fitness product. Everyone talks about discipline instead of preparation, and recovery instead of warmup. We're turning that perspective 180 degrees and making the warmup something people actually want to do through PREGAME® starting with rituo™.

How did the idea for PREGAME evolve from concept to execution, and what role did storytelling play in that journey?

Roy Ward: While I was in medical device sales, I saw an opportunity to take proven technology being used with patients and reimagine it for athletes. It is draining when you visit someone in a hospital or medical office, so I wanted to shift from that reactive approach to something proactive that makes people excited about taking care of their bodies. Instead of waiting until there's a problem, I wanted to focus on helping athletes prepare properly.

Tyler Blue-Owens: Drawing on 20 years of experience in medical device sales and spine technology with industry leaders like K2M and Stryker, Roy has built a reputation for developing deep partnerships with surgeons and understanding complex customer needs. His jumping towards a more Consumer-geared project is truly the natural evolution for this journey.

Roy Ward: I obsessed over every detail to create something that will help improve endurance, strength and coordination, but also make athletes feel confident and motivated to prioritize their warmup preparation. When you get the psychology right, athletes are more likely to adopt habits that protect their bodies and enhance their performance, creating a foundation for long-term success.

Tyler Blue-Owens: The Current Health & Fitness marketplace is flooded with products devoted to performance and recovery so we look to change how athletes of all levels think about preparation by building a movement to make warmup as important as recovery and help everyone perform at their peak from the start of each activity.

How do you define PREGAME’s core values, and what guided decision making around how those values show up visually and narratively?

Tyler Blue-Owens: PREGAME®’s four core values are central to our creativity, decision-making, and innovation. They shape our business culture, influence the products we build, and inspire the stories we share throughout the Community.

Roy Ward: Our Core Values fall into four defined categories:

• Innovation: We change how the world defines technology and apparel. Athleisure innovation is the heart of what we do.

• Vision: We look beyond the present to deliver future value. Thinking provocatively, we ignite innovation, create new opportunities, and shape a better future for our company.

• Energy: We are disruptive and love to challenge social norms and make warmup fun. We will be remembered for the rules we break.

• Respect: We believe respect is fundamental to accomplishing anything meaningful.

  
  

When preparation feels good and looks good, you're more likely to make it part of your pre-game ritual, so we continue to keep our Narratives sharp and focused on the best ways to integrate both product and our strong PREGAME® COMMUNITY into each person’s daily routine for a better and healthier lifestyle.

What was your strategy behind launching the brand's Spotlight Page, and how do featured ambassadors like Liz LeGrande and Jake Olson reflect your brand mission?

Roy Ward: Our PREGAME® Spotlight gives visitors a chance to hear from individuals across various industries who share a common thread: a personal ritual that prepares them for greatness. These are people with vision, ambition, and the determination to turn their dreams into reality. Through intimate storytelling as told in their own voices, the Spotlight showcases their journey while highlighting the practices that both ground and elevate each individual—offering inspiration and connection to our community.

Tyler Blue-Owens: All of our Ambassadors have come to the PREGAME® Family through natural and symbiotic avenues. We all share in the common goal of striving for your most healthy and happiest Self through regular complete workouts that bring your body to its peak physical aptitude. Roy and the team have amassed some truly remarkable Athletes and Fitness Enthusiasts in every corner of the Sports and Health World and our PREGAME® Community is key to maintaining a strong, positive and energetic vision as we enter this untapped arena.

How do you approach social media differently from other wellness or performance brands, and what has that taught you about community engagement?

Roy Ward: I wanted to approach social media unlike so many wellness or performance brands by prioritizing authenticity and meaningful conversations within our Health and Fitness Community. As we build and grow, this means sharing not just the Wins, but also our struggles, lessons learned along the way, and opening up with behind-the-scenes moments with each other that resonate on a human level and intimately connects us together through Purpose.

Tyler Blue-Owens: We’ve found that transparency as we go builds trust with our audience which equates to a more engaged and loyal consumer base. We are also actively involved in engaging the Movers and Gym Enthusiasts within the Wellness and Fitness Community. We ask questions and respond to comments while also resharing their stories because we understand first and foremost that people want to feel seen and heard.

Roy Ward: That’s been our biggest lesson learned so far. Real community engagement doesn’t come from perfect content but from the consistent human connection and interaction. We pride ourselves in building the PREGAME® community with real people who have different voices with different experiences but all share a common positive purpose which extends to every member of our team.

Why is it so important for PREGAME to deliver a cohesive story across every consumer touchpoint from product to platform to people?

Roy Ward: For PREGAME®, telling the cohesive story of the importance of warming up stretches across every touchpoint of Healthy Living and is the heartbeat of the brand. In today's world where consumers are constantly navigating between physical products, digital platforms, and real-world interactions, consistency becomes clarity and our Audience is focused on staying fit. Whether someone is using our rituo™ product, listening to our curated music mixes, or watching a brand ambassador experience video, our experience should feel like different verses of the same song as you continue upon your path to wellness. It's a unified story that builds trust, sparks emotion, and makes every moment with the brand feel intentional. With full submersible and engaging interactions, PREGAME® is easily relatable which we believe is what turns curious consumers into a loyal community.

Tyler Blue-Owens: Beyond the product, we're building a community centered around movement. We're partnering with athletes to offer free clinics, we developed a PREGAME® app where users can access 15-minute warmup playlists curated by DJs from around the world or create their own to add an additional layer of personalization to their warmup. PREGAME® is about making warming up not just effective but enjoyable for all interested in living Healthy.

Roy Ward: What drives me isn't just the creation of effective technology but rather the positive change it can affect in how people approach their pre-workout warmup. I'm passionate about making people feel more confident, more capable, and more motivated to take care of their bodies. PREGAME® won't be just about the products but more on this movement and starting a conversation that changes people's approach to their physical fitness and maintaining a long healthy life. In five to ten years, we aim to be a legacy brand that's integrated throughout the worldwide athletic culture across multiple generations. Whether you're a professional athlete or someone who exercises several times a week, we aim to make the proper warmup a part of your pre-game ritual and help you to stay in the Game.

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