Ajax and adidas channel Bob Marley’s Three Little Birds in new tribute kit

The Bob Marley family has teamed up with Ajax and adidas to release the 2021/2022 Ajax third kit, a tribute to its fans and a shared love for the reggae legend Bob Marley and the iconic song Three Little Birds.

Developed in collaboration with the family, the black kit features red, yellow, and green details, while on the back of the jersey, just below the collar, is a subtle reference to the iconic song with three little birds sitting on Amsterdam’s Andreas crosses. The kit will be worn in this season’s European matches, alongside Ajax’s home kit.

For over a decade, Ajax has had a strong tie to the Bob Marley song, Three Little Birds that started in August 2008 when the team played a friendly match in Cardiff against Cardiff City FC. The Ajax fans were asked to remain in the stands after the game. To keep them entertained, the stadium DJ played several tracks, one of which was Three Little Birds.

The song has since been embraced by Ajax fans who now sing it at every game, regardless of the score of the game.

Bob Marley is often remembered as an active and dedicated fan of football, a point that, according to the family of the reggae legend, makes the collaboration and the collective love for his music form Ajax fans particularly poignant.

“I am beyond touched that Ajax has taken Three Little Birds and made it their anthem. Stories like this warm my heart and show how impactful songs like Three Little Birds can be. Soccer was everything to my father…and to use his words ‘football is freedom’” said Cedella Marley, daughter of Bob Marley.

The kit features a jersey, shorts and socks. On the socks, Amsterdam’s Andreas crosses are prominently highlighted. The range also includes a track top, track pant, sweater, t-shirt and Samba footwear. Samba footwear originates from football but has become a global fashion icon in its own right. With stripes in red, yellow and green, the footwear also features the Ajax crest on the tongue of the shoe and the three little birds on Amsterdam’s Andreas crosses on the heel tab.

All product is available from August 20 onwards, and available on ajax.nl/shopadidas.com, in Official Ajax Fanshops (ArenA, Kalverstraat and Bataviastad) and through selected retailers around the world.

Silo Wellness to launch psychedelic micro-dosing mushroom range under the Bob Marley brand

Silo Wellness, a wellness company in the psychedelics and functional mushrooms marketplace, has entered into a multi-year licensing agreement with the family of the music and lifestyle legend, Bob Marley.

The deal offers Silo the exclusive worldwide rights to brand, market, and sell a product line of functional and psychedelic mushrooms.

“Our family is happy to collaborate with Silo Wellness to create the first ever global mushroom brand,” commented family matriarch Rita Marley. “When Bob and I were young we followed a strict, natural diet and we would include medicinal mushrooms. Mushrooms fit with our vision of a world transformed for good through natural products.”

“These are transformative times in which we are living. Our family seeks to use our platform to help facilitate positive change. Mushrooms have been used for centuries, and we believe they offer a natural pathway for healing and positivity,” stated Cedella Marley, daughter of Rita and Bob Marley.

As reported by Investing News, Jamaica is the only country in the world where psilocybin is not illegal to grow, extract and sell, positioning the island nation to benefit from wellness tourism as well as sales of psychedelic mushrooms.

The licensing agreement covers the development of a stand-alone Marley brand portfolio of functional and psychedelic micro-dosing mushroom products, formats, devices and promotional items. Silo Wellness has pledged a percentage of product sales to be contributed towards a charitable organization to be mutually agreed upon between the Marley family and Silo.

“We are incredibly excited to strike a long-term licensing agreement with the most iconic brand to ever emerge from Jamaica,” said Douglas K. Gordon, chief executive officer of Silo Wellness.

“There is deep respect for the legacy of Bob Marley, and we are honored to be entrusted as good stewards of a brand that stands for universal wellness and natural healing. We look forward to introducing a portfolio of quality branded products with instant name recognition and global visibility, enabling Silo to introduce what we intend to become the leading brand name in the functional and psychedelic mushroom category.”

Silo Wellness has been an early mover in the functional and psychedelic mushroom space and has already announced its proof of concept of a patent-pending, micro-dosing nasal spray format that this new brand partnership could potentially include.

The full line of functional mushroom products to be launched under the Marley brand will be announced in the near future along with a marketing and communications campaign, which will include targeted digital advertising, social media presence, brand public relations and lifestyle marketing initiatives.

Bravado partners with Alibaba to bring its artists’ merchandise to Chinese consumers

Bravado, the merchandising and brand management arm of Universal Music Group, has partnered with Alibaba Group today to launch a new means of bringing music artists’ merchandise and collaborations to Chinese consumers.

Under the new partnership, Bravado will launch its own store on Tmall Global, the largest cross-border business-to-consumer marketplace in China, where it will showcase merchandise from a portfolio of international recording artists, ranging from Tupac and Guns N’ Roses, to The Rolling Stones, Bob Marley, and Taylor Swift.

Swift will be the store’s first featured artist, while other collections and collaborations will be added each month.

The store launch will be the first time that merchandise from Taylor Swift’s most recent album, folklore, will be available in China. In addition, Swift will debut her newest collection exclusively on Tmall Global during Alibaba’s 11.11 Global Shopping Festival, giving Chinese shoppers access to it for two full weeks before anyone else in the world.

The collections will also be offered through Alibaba Group’s Hey Box, one of the most powerful marketing channels for new products.

In addition to this, the store will showcase a different featured artist each month, offering a specially curated range of products inspired and influenced by each featured act. These will include new and exclusive products and seasonal ranges, to coincide with album releases, tours, classic catalogues and other product innovations.

Universal Music China together with Bravado will work closely within Tmall Global and Alibaba’s ecosystem to help expand fan reach and interactivity through its technology and entertainment channels.

In recent years, Bravado has successfully leveraged merchandise as a platform to elevate artists’ individual brands and helped nurture new relationships with fans. The company’s partnership with Tmall Global will enable artists to share their full lifestyle experience, including collaborations into fashion, art and design alongside music projects.

“We’re extremely pleased to partner with Bravado to give fans in China the opportunity to connect with these remarkable musicians,” said Emma Lee, head of fashion for Tmall Global and Kaola, Alibaba Group.

“Through this partnership, Chinese consumers will be able to access exclusive merchandise from their favorite international recording artists that we know they will enjoy.”

John Habbouch, GM and CFO, Bravado, added: “At Bravado our mission is to amplify artist initiatives and create moments and experiences beyond music. This partnership with Tmall Global, in conjunction with our colleagues at Universal Music China, will provide both international and domestic artists with opportunities to engage more deeply with fans in China, and to continue to reach new consumers and audiences around the world.”

Zion Rootswear and Selfridges celebrate Black History Month with exclusive Bob Marley clothing collection

Zion Rootswear has partnered with Selfridges to launch an exclusive clothing collection inspired by the spirit and ethos of the reggae icon Bob Marley in celebration of UK Black History Month. The collaboration was brought together by Bravado, Universal Music Group’s merchandise and brand management company.

The range takes inspiration from Marley’s outspoken commitment to social justice and unity; a voice that the partnership underlines is still relevant today.

The collection is comprised of five t-shirts, two long sleeve t-shirts, three hoodies, a denim jacket, a pair of jeans, a cap and a beanie each featuring images of Marley, including a poignant picture of the artist-activist being stopped by the police, and his words: ‘Stand Up For Your Rights’, a slogan drawn from his iconic track ‘Get Up, Stand Up’.

Cedella Marley, daughter of Bob Marley, said: “Daddy’s message of love, courage and unity is so relevant right now. A moment in time that to this day seems unthinkable yet is so real. This collection is something special and to have it launch during Black History Month, makes it that bit more important to us, a perfect time to reiterate the essence of my father’s legacy.”

Grounded in his view that “if humankind failed to stand together, it would fail to stand at all”, Marley embedded his views into his music, a unique sound that shook the world, crossing cultural, racial and socio-economic borders, from the small island of Jamaica.

Daved Bridges, creative development and special projects manager, added: “Bob’s legacy extends far beyond his timeless music. We’re honoured to continue to play a part in delivering his message to the world through inspired, meaningful and stand-out ways.”