Under Armour and EPL club Tottenham Hotspur unveiled the club’s new home and away kits for the '12-13 season. UA’s five-year agreement to be the “technical partner” of Tottenham is the apparel brand’s first with an EPL team and its largest team sponsorship to date. UA Senior VP/Global Sports Marketing Matt Mirchin said, “Soccer is the most-viewed sport in the world, so this is a vital next step in growing our brand. Tottenham is London’s blue collar team and they have a rich tradition. We thought this partnership was a perfect fit for us.” The kits, which will be available on the team’s website beginning Thursday at midnight London time, integrate many of UA’s apparel innovations. The shirts are made of the company’s HeatGear material, which is meant to keep the players lighter and drier. Tottenham Chair Daniel Levy said, "Not only are they one of the most exciting brands in world sport, but Under Armour also has a reputation for performance and technical excellence. This is demonstrated by the fantastic kit they have designed." UA is also launching a retail collection for Tottenham, featuring graphic T-shirts, training tees, shorts, track jackets and accessories. Mirchin: "It is a defining moment for our brand" (Christopher Botta, SportsBusiness Journal). In London, Dan Ripley wrote it is "the '80s that seem to be in the minds of the north London club." The new kit features grey trim that "closely matches the strips worn in a decade" where the club won two FA Cups and the UEFA Cup. The kit includes white shorts, which apart from the '07-08 season, appear on the domestic home strip for the first time since '87 (DAILY MAIL, 7/12).
ONE MAN'S TRASH...: In London, Dan Francis wrote that Arsenal FC's new away kit is literally a "load of rubbish," as each set of shirts and shorts were made with up to 13 recycled plastic water bottles. The Gunners have unveiled their "striking purple and black hooped design, along with a garish bright pink goalkeeper's strip." The kit is manufactured from Nike's recycled polyester, "making it their most environmentally friendly kit ever produced," reducing energy consumption by up to 30% compared to tradition polyester (DAILY MAIL, 7/11).
