Oakley, Inc. announced that it had entered into a licensing agreement with Ducati Motor Holding S.p.A. for exclusive models of Oakley eyewear.
Ducati and Oakley will initially produce custom versions of the Minute(r), Straight Jacket(r), Valve(tm), Juliet(r) and Half Jacket(r) having a color scheme consistent with Ducati products and bearing laser engraved lenses with Ducati trademarks among other unique features. Oakley will distribute the products through its own sunglass distribution points worldwide. These products will also be sold through Ducati’s branded stores as well as Ducati’s distribution network.
Oakley’s line of Ducati eyewear was debuted at the 4th round of the World Superbike Championship taking place May 16 through May 18, 2003 in Monza, Italy.
“Oakley is all fired up to be working with a company that shares our same passion for design and performance products. Ducati is a world leader in motorcycle design and manufacturing as is evidenced by their unbelievable performance record on the race track,” commented Oakley Executive Vice President Tommy Rios.
“When it comes to high-performance eyewear, we think Oakley is the most exciting and dynamic brand in the world,” commented Federico Minoli, Chairman and CEO of Ducati Motor Holding.
“It is particularly exciting for us considering the fact that our top racers in the past have always chosen Oakley eyewear. With this announcement we are now able to offer performance eyewear for Ducati motorcycle enthusiasts throughout the world,” said David Gross, Creative Director of Ducati Motor.
These sunglasses, in addition to offering sleek design and technical performance, are directly inspired by Ducati racing tradition.
Ducati has won more World Superbike Championships than any other manufacturer and has more single race victories than all the competition combined.
Specific terms of the deal were not released.
