Collective Licensing International last week relaunched the Above the Rim brand at an event held at the Hudson Hotel on W 58th St. in New York City. Former NBA players Darryl Dawkins, Anthony Mason and Bo Kimble as well as former WNBA star Kym Hampton attended the event along with several ambassadors from a new community-based grant program. The 21-year-old Above The Rim brand was purchased from Reebok in January.
ATR will launch with a limited basketball footwear collection available now at Payless ShoeSource, which is also part of Collective Brands. The initial collection will include three key styles, the Pivot, Crosscourt and Rise.
In addition, ATR for Spring 2011 will launch a full scale, premium basketball footwear and apparel collection geared toward specialty retail, department store and better sporting goods channel and backed by NBA player endorsements. The Spring footwear collection will be highlighted by the first signature ATR style created for Martell Webster of the Minnesota Timberwolves. Available in four colorways, his Elevate MW5 shoe will debut in Spring 2011 and will be featured in the return of ATR's advertising efforts.
The company also last week announced that it signed Will Bynum of the Detroit Pistons to an endorsement deal. Both Webster and Bynum will serve as on-and-off court ATR ambassador in community, retail and social media programs. ATR expects to announce additional players to its roster during the upcoming season.
The ATR will also release an apparel collection in Spring 2011 featuring performance shorts, pants, and tops as well as off-court pieces including graphic t-shirts and hoodies.
“We've taken this iconic brand and found a sense of freshness in product and a meaningful marketing direction that is unique to basketball,” said Bruce Pettet, President and CEO at Collective Licensing International. “The product positioning is on point and ATR is well positioned to become part of the basketball conversation, and reestablish its niche for the long term.”
In conjunction with the brand's re-launch, ATR is launching a community-based grant program, the A.T.R. Project Assisting the Rise. Each season, ATR will identify and support a growing group of young community leaders from across the U.S. who are dedicated to mentoring and assisting the individual rise of young players in their communities. Through the A.T.R. Project, selected ambassadors, who may be coaches, after school program leaders or community leaders, will be given the support and funding from ATR to supply tools and resources to assist the youth they support. These funds may be used for a variety of enrichment purposes such as provisions, equipment, laptops or transportation, all intended to help elevate the personal performance of the young players they support in their local communities. The program encourages youth to rise to challenges on the court, in the classroom and in their communities.
The A.T.R. Project, which will launch in three key U.S. markets next month, will support an inaugural group of ambassadors that includes: Charles “Chuck” Torres of Los Angeles, CA; Tavio Hobson of Seattle, WA; and Bernard Bowen of the Bronx, New York. All three attended the launch event.
Originally launched in 1989 by Bob Capener, a life-long basketball player and All-American guard at Brigham Young University, in San Diego, CA, Above The Rim became hugely popular with all levels of players including NBA, college, high school and street ball players, eventually selling to Reebok in 1992. The brand launched its first footwear collection the same year and eventually aligned with major NBA talent. Kenyon Martin, Baron Davis, Steve Francis and Jason Richardson were among the brand's former endorsers.
Collective Licensing International's other brands include Airwalk, Vision Street Wear, Clinch Gear, STRIKEFORCE, Sims, Lamar and LTD, World Snowboarding Championships and Hind.
