PARIS: French sporting apparel brand Lacoste has been awarded licensing rights for a 3-year period by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) for an exclusive lifestyle apparel collection that will celebrate and honour the 50th anniversary of the 1968 Olympic Games in Grenoble and Mexico City.
Known as ‘The Olympic Heritage’ collection, it is an essential element of the new IOC Global Licensing Strategy, which was developedby the IOC in 2014 in sync with the Olympic Agenda of the Tokyo 2020 Games.
The collection is a part of IOC’s 3 Global Licensing core programmes (The Olympic Collection and The Olympic Games Programme being the other two), and centres on past Olympic Games, lifestyle and high-end products with limited editions aiming to connect the audience with Olympic history through the art and design of previous editions.
The target is thus not the typical Olympic spectator and fan, but rather Olympic enthusiasts and anyone who would like to own a piece of Olympic history.
This new men’s clothing and accessories line will feature limited edition collections that will reflect the graphic legacy of arguably the most revered sporting event in the world.
With this being the first edition, Lacoste will be designing different collections every season. Starting this summer, it will initially be sold in 10 countries: Canada, China, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Mexico, South Korea, Spain and the UK in association with IOC’s Worldwide TOP Partner, Alibaba.
In a speech on Monday at The Olympic Museum in Lausanne, Timo Lumme, managing director of IOC Television and Marketing Services, said: “We are delighted to announce the launch of this new collection, which marks the beginning of an exciting licensing agreement with Lacoste to further connect people with Olympic history and legacy. The collection celebrates the iconic designs of Olympic Games Grenoble 1968 and Mexico City 1968 on their 50th anniversary. These Games not only represented a turning point for the art and design of the Olympic Games, they also left a strong sporting and cultural heritage that is still acknowledged today.”
Lacoste CEO Thierry Guibert also commented on the development.
“We are happy to start this Licensing Agreement with the International Olympic Committee. Founded by tennis player and entrepreneur René Lacoste, Olympic medalist in 1924, the Lacoste brand carries the values of fair play, elegance and tenacity that are dear to the Olympic Movement. Those common values have inspired us this collection that radiate with a touch of French elegance the iconographic heritage of past Olympic Games,” Guibert said.
The sponsorship revenues from licensing and merchandising constitute 18% of IOC’s overall revenues, according to its 2017 Sustainability Strategy Report.
