The U.S. Olympic Committee (USOC) announced multi-year sponsorship greements with Oakley and Outerstuff. Oakley is now the first-ever performance-based eyewear supplier to Team USA, and Outerstuff is an official licensee.
“As part of the USOC’s long-term strategy to partner with market leaders, we are extremely pleased to welcome Oakley and Outerstuff to the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic family,” said USOC Chief Executive Officer Scott Blackmun. “Both of these companies are proven performance-driven leaders in their respective categories. Additionally, these agreements allow for closer interaction with our fans, as Americans can more easily show their pride and support of Team USA by sporting officially licensed products.”
As an Official Eyewear Supplier of Team USA, Oakley owns licensed rights through 2012 in the following categories: protective, active, lifestyle and corrective eyewear, including glasses, sunglasses, goggles, and associated accessories, such as cases and cloths. Oakley will design, manufacture and sell a line of Team USA eyewear that will be available at Oakley “O” Stores, TeamUSAShop.com and Oakley.com, as well as other national retailers and sunglass specialty stores. A percentage of these sales will support the training of U.S. Olympic and Paralympic athletes and hopefuls. In addition, the U.S. delegation at the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games in London will be outfitted with Oakley eyewear.
“It is a tremendous honor for Oakley to be named the official eyewear supplier to Team USA,” said Oakley’s SVP of Global Marketing Scott Bowers. “As a company with a long history of supporting the performance of Olympic and Paralympic athletes, we are proud of this two-year partnership that officially pairs Team USA with our world-class optimal technology and performance innovation. We look forward to the opportunity to help fuel excitement for America’s athletes and the 2012 Games through our Oakley products.”
Oakley will support the partnership with a fully-integrated marketing campaign, keeping America’s athletes top of mind and in the hearts of fans across the country. Customers will get to share in the excitement of the Games, as well as the innovations that help Olympic and Paralympic athletes perform at their best.
As the newest official licensee of the USOC and U.S. Paralympics through 2012, Outerstuff a manufacturing and marketer of youth sports apparel will provide Team USA product to a variety of retailers, including Walmart, Target, Kohl’s, JCPenney and others.
Other sport organizations to partner with Outerstuff include the National Football League (NFL), Major League Baseball (MLB), the National Basketball Association (NBA) and the National Hockey League (NHL).
“We are very excited to be joining the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic family and look forward to making Team USA products available across all channels of distribution,” said Outerstuff President Sol Werdiger. “Also, we are looking forward to the opportunity of engaging all consumers in supporting America’s athletes.”
Earlier this year the USOC launched a new corporate identity and a complete brand marks architecture covering all USOC constituencies and retail channels. The marks will remain consistent over coming quadrennial cycles, eliminating the need for frequent “Look of the Team” redesigns. The new brand architecture and style guide provide a consistently executed presentation of Team USA across a broad marketplace and a logical framework for the application of the marks across all media, as well as added value for sponsors, suppliers, licensees and business partners.
The additions of Oakley and Outerstuff are critical building blocks in the execution of the USOC’s strategy to build a long-term, competitive licensing platform. No other sports licensing business covers the breadth of channels and product segments that offer retailers and fans a chance to proudly show their support of Team USA.
