​Manchester United inks deal with Maui Jim, will launch co-branded collection

By

Sandra Halliday

Published
Feb 18, 2019

English Premier League team Manchester United is one of the biggest football teams on the planet so any brand that links up with it can be guaranteed global exposure. Late last week the club announced a multi-year partnership with US sunglasses and eyewear brand Maui Jim.

The brand, which is known for its premium products and advanced lens technology, will supply the Manchester United first team, academy and women’s teams with glasses from its sun range, as well as from its optical range that launched only a year ago.

The eyewear will also be available to fans in the Old Trafford Megastore from February 26, which could offer a significant sales opportunity given that the football ground seats almost 75,000 people.

The club and the brand will take the product opportunity further later this year when they launch a co-branded eyewear collection.

Manchester United’s Group Managing Director, Richard Arnold said of all this: “Maui Jim is a revolutionary global eyewear brand that is one of the largest and most innovative producers of sunglasses in the world. Our partnership with them demonstrates the club’s ability to attract the world’s most premium brands.”

It’s interesting that Man U has chosen to link up with Maui Jim rather than one of the major Italian names, but the firm claims to be the world’s third largest eyewear maker so it’s far from a small player.

Founded over 30 years ago in Hawaii, it’s known for its patented PolarizedPlus2 sunglass lens technology and such tech is a plus point for any sports brand seeking to market products aimed at performance as well as looks.