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Learfield Licensing Partners brokered a deal for an apparel line featuring Appalachian State and alum Eric Church.
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Appalachian State University and one of the school’s most famous alums, country music artist Eric Church, will unveil a line of co-branded apparel this month.
Learfield Licensing Partners, the licensing agency for the Mountaineers, brokered the deal for what’s being called the Mountain Born Collection. LLP will handle approvals by Church and the school, the collection and distribution of royalties, and retail development.
The line of hats, T-shirts and sweats is expected to debut on store shelves the weekend of the Appalachian State-Miami (Fla.) game Sept. 17 in Boone, N.C. The game already is a sellout and the school hopes to capitalize on what might be its largest crowd ever, more than 30,000, to launch the new line.
“For us, this represents the alignment of two great brands and hopefully it will mean more exposure for Appalachian State to the millions of fans he has,” said Doug Gillin, the Mountaineers’ athletic director.
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Church grew up in Granite Falls, N.C., less than an hour from the App State campus.
Photo by: ORIGINAL RETRO BRAND
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Church grew up in Granite Falls, N.C., less than an hour from Appalachian State’s campus, and eventually graduated from the school with a degree in marketing. But instead of going to work in the corporate world, Church went to Nashville and established his country music career. His 2011 album “Chief” produced his first two No. 1 hits.
The singer has maintained ties to the school, often attending football or basketball games without fanfare. Gillin helped initiate the idea for the co-branded line by talking to Church’s father, Ken, who still lives in the area.
The Mountain Born Collection plays off Church’s affection for his school with sayings like “Church & State” surrounding Appalachian State’s block A on T-shirts. Other shirts feature Church’s image with school marks or lyrics from his most popular songs.
“The value is not just in driving sales, but concepts like this rally a fan base around the school and generates way more exposure,” said Marc Jenkins, chief operating officer for Learfield, LLP’s parent company.
The apparel will sell in the school’s bookstore, online and other traditional outlets, as well as at Church’s concerts and on his website. The Mountaineers hope to see a boost in exposure from Church’s fans by taking the collection on the road when he tours. Hats will sell for $16 to $24, while shirts will range from $29.99 to $32.99.
“This is going to take Appalachian State into states and venues they’d never be in typically,” said Eric Johnson, LLP’s chief operating officer, who worked directly with the school and the singer’s representatives at Nashville agency Q Prime.
The strategy of combining a school’s brand with a famous alum is something LLP first put into practice at Georgia Southern. LLP brokered a deal between the Eagles and singer Cole Swindell last year for the Hail Southern collection. Swindell often wears the Georgia Southern hats and shirts when he makes appearances and in the past has led the football team onto the field.
Similarly, Church is expected to wear the new line of Appalachian State apparel at concerts and other appearances.
“What we’re trying to do is be a little different and show schools how they can use these associations to build their brand,” Johnson said. “Instead of just having a concert on campus, these guys are out there wearing their school’s colors when they’re touring.”
LLP was formed in February 2015 through Learfield’s acquisitions of Licensing Resource Group and Strategic Marketing Affiliates. It was created to take on the leader in the space, Collegiate Licensing Co., owned by WME-IMG.
LLP also has worked with Davidson College on an initiative featuring former Wildcats basketball great Steph Curry.
“We’re looking for situations where stars have a great affinity for their school,” Johnson said. “This is an example of how we’re making our mark. In the past, licensing has been so much about collecting royalties and the legal work behind protecting the brand. We want to be brand managers and be creative in how we get the brand out there in different ways.”
