Reebok International Ltd. is planning the launch of its first major NBA merchandising initiative with a new apparel line called "D'funkd," tailored after the look of seven former NBA franchises.
The D'funkd line, which is scheduled to make its debut at the 2004 NBA All-Star Game in Los Angeles, will use the names and numbers of current NBA players with the retro-inspired uniforms of NBA teams that were originally located elsewhere.
"The strategy is to take defunct NBA teams that have a lineage to current teams, and we wanted something that had authenticity," said Greg Grauel, vice president of apparel merchandising for Reebok's Onfield Apparel Group, created by the company to develop league merchandise (see "Reebok works hard to build Onfield advantage").
The seven teams to be featured initially are the Buffalo Braves, Denver Rockets, Minneapolis Lakers, St. Louis Hawks, Philadelphia Warriors, Syracuse Nationals and the original Celtics, a barnstorming team that became the NBA's Boston Celtics. The list of the players to be included in the apparel line has not been completed, company officials said.
Reebok will support the new apparel line with an aggressive marketing effort, including a plan to hire a notable 1970s funk-era representative to hawk the products.
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| The line will include jerseys, shorts, warm-ups and footwear. |
"The tag line is 'Unifying funk for the future with vibes from the past,'" said Kristen Fortin, NBA marketing specialist for Onfield. "We want to find someone from that era to act as a spokesperson for the campaign."
The new apparel will include headgear, warm-ups, jerseys, shorts and footwear. The jerseys and shorts will be in terry-cloth material.
"We are spinning ahead the retro look," said Rob Lee, director of apparel design for Onfield. "We want to create something that is unique and is authentic."
The new line is Reebok's effort to distinguish itself among the NBA's Hardwood Classics line, which features retro-style apparel from a host of licensees, including Reebok. Nike, which is not a Hardwood Classics licensee, introduced its own retro-inspired apparel line called NBARewind at this year's NBA All-Star Game in Atlanta.
Reebok signed a 10-year sponsorship deal with the NBA in August 2001. Reebok will become the exclusive licensed merchandiser for the NBA at the start of the 2004-05 season. Nike now outfits 10 NBA teams.
