Tag Archives: sport

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

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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/shop, adidas.com, in Official Ajax Fanshops (ArenA, Kalverstraat and Bataviastad) and through selected retailers around the world.

England’s UEFA Euro 2020 journey documented in Official History book from Welbeck and The FA

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Welbeck Publishing Group is among the many thousands to be bringing it home this year as it prepares to launch the official licensed History of the England Football team through a new licensing deal with The Football Association.

England: The Official History will be published on October 4th this year and will document the history of the England Football team, including the team’s complete performance at UEFA EURO 2020.

Written by the award-winning author Daniel Storey in association with The FA, the publication will be illustrated with more than 250 photos as it presents an account of the world’s oldest and most iconic national football team in the run up to its 150th birthday in 2022.

Charting the complete history of the England national team and covering the highs and lows of the men’s and women’s national teams, the release will also feature icons past and present including Sir Alf Ramsey, Sir Bobby Charlton, Gary Lineker, Hope Powell, David Beckham, Steph Houghton, and Harry Kane.

Wayne Davies, group publisher for non-fiction, Welbeck Publishing Group, said: “We are delighted to be partnering with The Football Association on this hugely exciting project. If this summer has shown us anything, it’s that the England team still has the ability to capture the public’s imagination almost a century and a half since the first international match was played.

“England: The Official History promises to be a definitive celebration of the Three Lions and Lionesses that fans won’t want to miss.”

Simon Wickham, senior commercial manager – retail and licensing, The Football Association, said: “Ahead of a significant milestone for both our men’s and women’s teams, we are pleased to licence Welbeck Publishing Group to produce this official historic record to mark a celebratory year for The FA.

“Our national teams continue to be an inspiration for many and this will bring to life a rich history that connects with our nation.”

England: The Official History by Daniel Storey is published by Welbeck on 14th October in hardback at £25.

WWE taps skateboard brand Enjoi for exclusive new range as the sport readies for Olympic spotlight

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WWE has tagged in the California-based skateboard brand, Enjoi as its latest licensing partner in a new deal that will see the creation of a special collection of skateboard decks featuring a variety of WWE Legends.

The partnership was first revealed on the popular skateboarding podcast, The Nine Club and will see the likes of WWE Hall of Famers Jimmy Hart, The Junkyard Dog, and Gene Okerlund feature on the first wave of decks, with additional decks featuring WWE Legend Undertaker and WWE Hall of Famers Stone Cold Steve Austin, Ultimate Warrior, Macho Man Randy Savage, and Jake the Snake Roberts.

The first wave of decks will be available exclusively on thenineclub.com, while wave two will be released on enjoi.com.

The collaboration between WWE and the skateboard brand arrives during a spike in interest in the global skateboarding scene. For the first time, the sport is to be featured at the Olympic Games in Tokyo this year, placing it well within the spotlight for global audiences, while the pandemic has driven a worldwide resurgence in the hobby as audiences have either returned to the sport or taken it up for the first time under social distancing measures.

Here in the UK, skateboarding has been subject to a sweeping surge of interest, with the number of active participants somewhere between seven to nine per cent higher than the year prior. In fact, the UK skateboarding body, Skateboard GB has reported 2020 as the sport’s ‘first sell-out year in history’.

Last month, the US toymaker Jakks Pacific launched a partnership with The Heart Supply’s signature collection of ‘do-gooder brand’ skateboards, developed by the founder of Element Skateboards himself, Johnny Schillereff with the aim of making quality skateboards more inclusive, accessible and affordable to all audiences.

Meanwhile, Enjoi has previously collaborated with a diverse range of brands, including KISS and My Little Pony to create special skateboard decks for fanbases around the world.

Enjoi celebrated its 20th anniversary last year and was named Transworld’s Team of the Year in 2016.

Formula 1 extends Fanatics partnership as it eyes global expansion into new markets

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With the 2021 FIA Formula One World Championship now in full throttle, Formula 1 has signed off a multi-year extension of its partnership with the licensed sports merchandise specialist, Fanatics.

The extension has been agreed following what the firm billed ‘an outstanding 2020 performance’, and will see Fanatics retain global e-commerce and manufacturing rights fort he F1 brand. The news arrives amid celebrations in the F1 camp, following a year that has sales on the official online F1 Store grow by more than 40 per cent globally.

Official Formula One merchandise is now delivered to fans in 143 different countries across the world. The strong performance has accelerated in the first six months of 2021, with sales on the official online F1 Store growing by triple digits compared to the same period in 2020.

The sport has also enjoyed an increased presence in the US, with the region becoming the most significant market with the most sales for the F1 site.

Fanatics, which partners with more than 300 of the biggest sports clubs and organisations in the world, has worked with Formula 1 to grow sales by almost 200 per cent since 2017 and has changed the way F1 fans purchase their merchandise online through a tech-infused approach to making and selling fan gear in today’s on-demand, mobile-first culture.

The official F1 online store utilizes Fanatics’ vertical commerce model, which combines on-demand manufacturing with an agile supply chain to produce the timeliest assortments of merchandise for Formula 1 fans. A key driver of sales on the official F1 online store in 2020 was the store’s move to Fanatics’ Cloud Commerce technology, which provides rapid navigation for fans across online and mobile sites.

Fanatics partners with many of the largest sporting organisations in the world including Manchester United, Chelsea FC, Paris Saint-Germain, Bayern Munich, Atletico Madrid, NFL, NBA, MLB and the NHL.

Ben Pincus, director of commercial partnerships at Formula 1, said: “We are pleased to extend our ecommerce and licensing partnership with Fanatics on the back of an exceptional 2020 performance, which follows the remarkable growth we have seen over the last few years.

“Our ambition is to serve all our fans no matter where in the world they are located, and our focus in the years to come will be to access new markets and grow strategic territories like China.”

Zohar Ravid, general manager for Fanatics’ International Business, said: “We have worked in partnership with Formula 1 for a number of years now and grown its global merchandise business significantly in that time. The recent transfer of the site onto our innovative cloud commerce platform has delivered some incredible results in recent months; we are committed to building on that growth in the coming years and I am delighted that we will now be able to continue to deliver results and an incredible service to its global fanbase.”

Italy’s Marco Verratti takes feline form to join 44 Cats campaign ahead of UEFA European Football Championship

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The Italian footballer and national team champion, Marco Verratti is taking on a new feline appearance ahead of the upcoming UEFA European Football Championship, through a new partnership with the country’s own animation studio, Rainbow and its popular 44 Cats franchise.

Verratti has signed a new contract with the Make a Wish Italia Onlus, the local Make a Wish Foundation, in which the football star will feature – in cat form, no less – alongside the four protagonists from 44 Cats, on a customised Italian flag designed for this year’s major tournament.

The initiative, dubbed Italia Gattastica, will see the character Gatto Marco join the line up of Lampo, Milady, Pilou, and Meatball on a flag that will be sold to fans ahead of the Euro tournament this year. The revenues from the sale of the limited edition Italian flag – now available on Rainbow’s Amazon store – will be donated to the Make A Wish Italia Onlus.

“I’m really happy to kick off this project. The day I was asked to join this adventure my thoughts immediately turned to my children, who are huge 44 Cats fans,” said Verratti in human form.

“It was fun and stimulating to work with serious and very professional companies like Rainbow and Vanquish. Now I hope that the little fans of Buffycats and now also of Gatto Marco will like it, because during the next European Championships we will need the support and cheer of everyone. Go Azzurri! Go 44 Cats!” 

New content, contests and special activities will be rolled out for the entertainment of fans during the European Championship on all 44 Cats social networks.

Produced by Rainbow in collaboration with Antoniano and Rai Ragazzi, 44 Cats is an animated hit series that has been conquering fans worldwide. The Italian-made preschool series is a mix of action, comedy, friendship and original music, that has become a global phenomenon with record ratings since its debut in November 2018 on Rai Yoyo.

44 Cats is on air in over 100 countries and in more than 20 languages. Populating the soundtrack of the series is a run of original songs performed by Antoniano, Italy’s most famous Piccolo Coro.

St Andrews Links appoints The Point. 1888 as it looks to take on apparel, toys, beverages, and more

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St Andrews Links has selected The Point. 1888 as its brand extension partner, adding to the firm’s growing roster of Sports brands that now encompasses the likes of Williams Racing, Team GB, and the British and Irish Lions.

A veteran in the world of brand licensing, having worked with Hannah Stevens previously when she worked at CPLG, St Andrews Links (SAL) has made the most of its iconic courses and the world’s love of golf to build awareness as far afield as Korea and Japan.

With seven courses spanning nearly 1,000 acres, SAL is at the top of every golfer’s wish list. More than 230,000 rounds of golf are played on the courses every year by golf fans flocking from all over the world.

By appointing The Point.1888, it is seeking to ramp up its brand licensing activity, going beyond the golf accessories and gifting markets to new categories that will offer its loyal and older demographic, as well as younger generations across the world, a small piece of 600 years of history.

Keen to explore fashion apparel, homeware, stationery, personal care, toys and games, as well as alcoholic beverages and confectionary, SAL is looking to develop product ranges that capture the heritage and tradition of the links while still bringing a feeling of fun and timeless style that lasts and endures.

The Point. 1888 will look to drive awareness ahead of The Open, the biggest golfing competition in the calendar, which will be returning to St Andrews in 2022 for the 150th anniversary of the tournament and the 30th time it will have been played at SAL.

Hannah Stevens, head of retail and sport at The Point.1888, said: “With The Point.1888, St Andrews Links knew they were getting an agency with an unconventional approach who really understands their unique high end brand and knows how to find the best opportunities at retail. We’re really excited about the collaborations that we can work on together.

“St Andrews Links creates such an opportunity with the popularity of golf skyrocketing among younger demographics, but also because we pride ourselves on working with brands with purpose. The Links’ values mean they take real pride in being active and supporting members in the community, for instance their fantastic junior golf programme, which gives free golf to children in the town.”

Danny Campbell, commercial director of SAL, added: “We have more than 600 years of history and our brand reflects golf’s values of integrity, collaboration and the pursuit of excellence. We had to make sure that the agency we chose shared those values and could match our ambition with their ideas, creativity, experience and passion. I know we’re in very good hands.”

Titleist becomes licensed golf ball partner for Rugby League World Cup 2021

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The leading golf ball brand, Titleist has landed a partnership with Rugby League World Cup 2021 to provide personalised golf balls for the new event that will see the men’s, women’s, and wheelchair tournaments run concurrently for the first time this October 23rd to November 27th.

Under the licensing partnership, Titleist will now give golfers the chance to add the tournament logo or any of the participating teams’ marks to their golf ball line-up via the My Titleist platform, consisting of the Pro V1, Pro V1x and AVX, as well as a the Tour Speed, Tour Soft, Velocity, and TruFeel golf balls.

Titleist joins a roster of brands partnering with RLWC2021 including apparel, accessories, publishing and collectibles, ahead of what promises to be the biggest and best Rugby League World Cup to date.  

Edward Shirley, Titleist corporate sales manager, said: “Partnering with a world first event like this demonstrates Titleist’s determination to join forces with globally recognised properties to help increase awareness and engagement across multiple sports and audiences.

“The partnership is an extremely exciting one for Titleist and we look forward to working with the Rugby League World Cup this year.” 

Jonathan Neill, commercial director at RLWC2021, added: “Titleist is a brand that symbolises sporting excellence, and another partner who shares our vision in delivering the biggest and best Rugby League World Cup ever.  

“Titleist are not only committed to producing industry leading products but have also demonstrated a desire to collaborate with other sports and major events through their customisation offering and digital platform which will support the tournament’s ambition of reaching new audiences.” 

Not only does this partnership provide golfers with the opportunity to show their support for the event and their nation, it also allows them to play the leading golf balls in the market. 

Boxing icon Floyd Mayweather Jr enters the NFT ring ahead of Logan Paul bout this summer

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The boxing icon, Floyd Mayweather Jr is the latest name to enter the licensed NFT ring.

In conjunction with IronBend – a provider of digital NFTs for prominent personalities – the five weight 12-time world champion has teamed up with Reality Gaming Group, a publisher of mobile games and blockchain-based digital entertainment, and Zytara Labs, to release exclusive NFT collector’s items.

The NFTs will drop ahead of the highly anticipated bout with the YouTuber-turned-boxer, Logan Paul.

The launch will feature a limited-edition digital collection celebrating the legacy of Floyd Mayweather’s life and career, including animations, artwork and rare memorabilia from Mayweather’s personal keepsakes. Each piece in this unique collection will be secured and protected using blockchain technology, enabling the verification of ownership and authenticity of each collector’s item.

 The pieces are being designed by Reality Gaming Group in partnership with Iron Bend and Zytara Labs, and will be launched on May 26, 2021, ahead of Mayweather vs. Paul fight scheduled for June 6th. Reality Gaming has done NFT collections for the hit TV Show Dr. Who and is in partnership with the British Broadcasting Company in a variety of NFT initiatives.

 Speaking about his NFT launch, Floyd Mayweather said: “I started from nothing and beat all the odds to achieve what I did in my career and I think that’s the American dream. I don’t look at myself as a celebrity – I look at myself as an icon, one who made it. My name will always live on for the things that I did and the mark that I left in sports. These digital collectibles give everyone a chance to be part of the Mayweather Legacy.”

 Dan Sobol, co-founder and CEO of IronBend, added: “We’re incredibly grateful to be selected by Floyd Mayweather as his exclusive partner in this journey of celebrating his life’s legacy in the digital universe.

“We are excited to be collaborating with a great team to present Floyd’s timeless digital collectibles to generations of his fans to memorialize the legend of this iconic athlete.”

 Morten Rongaard, CEO of Reality Gaming, said: “We’re absolutely thrilled to be working with Floyd Mayweather to create a unique NFT collection that will be loved by his fans around the world. The officially licensed content will be of the highest quality and fans can start collecting the limited-edition items secure in the knowledge that they will own a unique piece of Floyd Mayweather’s legacy.”

For more information about the upcoming Mayweather NFT drop, please visit https://floydnft.com

Adidas and Timex Group partner to launch Adidas Originals branded watches in 2022

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The international watchmaking company, Timex Group, has entered into a global licensing agreement with Adidas to design, manufacture, and distribute watches under the Adidas Original brand.

The collection is scheduled to hit the market at the start of next year and will look to blend Timex Group’s heritage in watchmaking and design with Adidas Originals’ street culture inspiration. The portfolio of watches will also draw attention to the brand’s focus on sustainability.

“We could not be more excited to welcome Adidas into our portfolio of brands,” said Tobias Reiss-Schmidt, president and CEO of Timex Group.

“There are few truly iconic brands, and Adidas, with its rich history and authentic style, is at the very top of the list. We see a strong and increasing interest in watches among young Millennials and GenZ, and we look forward to introducing our Adidas Originals watch collection to this next generation of consumers.”

The range will be sold across Adidas owned stores, affiliates and e-commerce, and through Timex Group’s global distribution network.

Gola partners with Global Brands Group to launch new apparel collection across Europe

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The British heritage sports brand, Gola and the European division of Global Brands Group Holding Limited, have signed an exclusive multi-year partnership to launch a new Gola-branded apparel collection, in a new deal brokered by IMG.

The new line will be available for purchase across Europe and Russia in selected fashion and department stores, beginning in February 2022. It will include t-shirts, sweatshirts, tracksuits, and jackets. Gola plans to extend the collection to include kids’ apparel, accessories, socks, sleepwear, and underwear.

“Gola is an iconic, beloved British brand that has built its reputation over 115 years,” said Eno Polo, president of Europe for Global Brands. “We’re thrilled to be partnering with the brand and leveraging our expertise and resources throughout Europe at every stage of development, from concept and design right through to sourcing, manufacturing, distribution and marketing.

“This new collection stays true to Gola’s origins as a heritage sports brand, while offering contemporary authenticity and wearability.”

Founded in 1905, Gola is an internationally recognised lifestyle brand renowned for its British roots, personality and strong sporting heritage. The new apparel collection will celebrate this by merging original Gola styles with contemporary designs and the latest trends.

“Our customers expect the best combination of quality, heritage and on-trend design and this new apparel collection delivers all of that,” said Gola’s managing director, Tony Evans. “We’re extremely pleased to be partnering with Global Brands to launch this new range that builds on our sportswear pedigree with up-to-date styles that will appeal to both new and existing Gola fans.”

Natalie Horne, associate vice president of licensing at IMG, added: “We are really excited about this collaboration between Gola and Global Brands, and to be combining Gola’s unique style with the latest fashion trends for the brand’s first European-wide apparel collection. We have no doubt the new collection will be very popular.”