EKOCYCLE™ Game Plan Scores New Partnerships and Products to Celebrate NBA Green Initiatives
NBA and adidas® join will.i.am and Coca-Cola® collaboration, EKOCYCLE Levis® 501® Waste<Less™ jeans now available online and in stores
ATLANTA--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Now one person’s recyclable item truly will become another person’s treasure. EKOCYCLE, an innovative brand initiative developed by global music artist and producer will.i.am and The Coca-Cola Company, is introducing new apparel and lifestyle products that make a compelling fashion statement while promoting environmental responsibility.
The expansion of the EKOCYCLE product line coincides with NBA Green Week presented by Sprint. This effort is focused on reducing the league’s ecological impact and helping educate basketball fans around the globe about the importance of environmental protection.
A new brand partnership between EKOCYCLE and the NBA makes the league’s Green Week a perfect time to debut the latest items that use recycled waste to make everyday products and clothing. Tipping it off, EKOCYCLE will be celebrated at STAPLES Center during the nationally televised Sunday, April 7 game between the Los Angeles Clippers and the Los Angeles Lakers, which begins at 12:30 p.m. PST on ABC.
“We’re putting the spotlight on our new EKOCYCLE brand partner, adidas, and celebrating all of our more sustainable products during Green Week,” said will.i.am. “Together EKOCYCLE and the NBA can help further the belief that waste is only waste if we waste it, while playing a positive role in shifting behavior to reuse, recycle and reduce waste.”
With a shared interest in making a positive impact on our world, The Coca-Cola Company and will.i.am have come together to create EKOCYCLE. By educating people about the role of recycling in their lives, EKOCYCLE hopes to inspire a global social movement around recycling and making more sustainable purchasing choices. EKOCYCLE repurposes items such as plastic bottles for use as recycled content in fashion-forward lifestyle products through the help of today’s biggest trendsetters and brands. To further reinforce The Coca-Cola Company’s commitment to promoting recycling, the Coke® brand name – spelled backwards, “EKOC” – is embedded into the EKOCYCLE moniker.
“EKOCYCLE brings together strong brands and a cultural icon to engage people in an important sustainability initiative,” said Bea Perez, Chief Sustainability Officer, The Coca-Cola Company. “EKOCYCLE encourages recycling by innovatively transforming recycled materials into attractive products. It’s a journey that presents a win-win proposition.”
Supporting the EKOCYCLE activation during NBA Green Week presented by Sprint, AEG, owners of STAPLES Center, and their recycling partners, Waste Management, have created a fan activation experience outside the arena along Chick Hearn Court and in Nokia Plaza at L.A. LIVE. Two Waste Management natural-gas powered trucks featuring custom EKOCYCLE graphics, along with representatives from several non-profit organizations, will encourage and educate fans to recycle. Waste Management's green trucks will be onsite for the duration of the game. Representing North America's largest recycler, these two Waste Management trucks will also serve as rolling reminders about the importance of recycling as they traverse the streets of Los Angeles throughout April.
A full line of apparel and lifestyle items promoting environmental responsibility are among the latest offerings from EKOCYCLE:
- adidas – A limited-edition adidas Feel Good® Tee features a custom EKOCYCLE Glyph pattern along with the legendary adidas stripe logo and the official NBA logo. The shirt is made with 50 percent rPET and 50 percent organic cotton, with the rPET component comprised of three assorted recycled PET bottles. It retails for $36 and will be available in limited quantities beginning April 7 during the Clippers-Lakers game at the TEAM LA store in STAPLES Center and other TEAM LA locations at L.A. LIVE. The tee can also be purchased online at adidas.com, coca-colastore.com and nbastore.com.
- Levi’s® – The limited edition Levi’s 501® Waste<Less™ jean is made with an average of eight recycled assorted plastic bottles per pair of jeans. Levi’s Waste<Less 501 jeans are available in April 2013 for $128 with global distribution via Levi’s retail doors and online at levi.com.
- Beats by Dr. Dre® - Beats Studio® headphones are precision engineered to reveal the full emotion of your music. Through EKOCYCLE, Beats delivers exceptional sound, and a full 31 percent of the product is made using materials that would have otherwise been wasted, including three assorted recycled PET plastic bottles. The EKOCYCLE Studio headphone also offers an online digital user manual rather than including paper materials in the packaging. Beats Studio headphones are available at beatsbydre.com, amazon.com and coca-colastore.com.
- New Era® – The 59FIFTY® cap is New Era's signature fitted, structured cap with a flat visor that has the ability to curve. The 9FIFTY™ Strapback is a throwback style with fabric strap closure with a metal buckle that allows for a fashionable, adjustable fit. Made with 42 percent post-consumer recycled materials, including one recycled PET bottle, each hat is available in S/M and M/L. Beginning in June, the caps can be found at New Era Flagship stores across the country, newera.com and coca-colastores.com.
- Other selections in the EKOCYCLE line include boardshorts and T-shirts from brand partner RVCA and luxury bags from brand partner MCM, which will be available later this year.
In addition to EKOCYCLE products being available online and at select retail outlets, social media-savvy fans can win sustainable merchandise signed by will.i.am and NBA players. A Twitter contest, which takes place on April 5, gives fans a chance to win EKOCYCLE, NBA and adidas products by using the hashtag #NBAEKOCYCLE to answer trivia questions.
To learn more about the EKOCYCLE brand initiative and shop for EKOCYCLE products visit EKOCYCLE.com. EKOCYCLE can also be found on Facebook and Twitter.
About will.i.am
A multi-faceted entertainer, creative innovator and philanthropist, will.i.am is best known for his work with The Black Eyed Peas, who have sold 33 million albums and 58 million singles worldwide. will.i.am’s upcoming solo cd, #willpower on Interscope Records, is scheduled for release on April 23, 2013. The first two singles released from his upcoming solo cd include worldwide platinum hit “This is Love” featuring Eva Simons, and “Scream & Shout” featuring Britney Spears that shot to number one on the iTunes single chart and to top three on Billboard’s Hot 100 chart. As a producer, will.i.am has worked with some of the music industry’s biggest names including Michael Jackson, Rihanna, Usher, Nicki Minaj, Britney Spears, David Guetta, and film composer Hans Zimmer. will.i.am is the recipient of multiple Grammy Awards, a Latin Grammy Award, an Emmy Award, two NAACP Image Awards, the BMI President’s Award and a 2008 Webby Award. will.i.am's i.am angel foundation (www.iamangelfoundation.org) supports young people through programs focused on education, activities that build STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts and math) skills and college scholarship assistance. The foundation also operates a mortgage relief program and financial literacy workshops.
About The Coca-Cola Company
The Coca-Cola Company (NYSE: KO) is the world's largest beverage company, refreshing consumers with more than 500 sparkling and still brands. Led by Coca-Cola, the world's most valuable brand, our Company's portfolio features 16 billion-dollar brands including Diet Coke, Fanta, Sprite, Coca-Cola Zero, vitaminwater, Powerade, Minute Maid, Simply, Georgia and Del Valle. Globally, we are the No. 1 provider of sparkling beverages, ready-to-drink coffees, and juices and juice drinks. Through the world's largest beverage distribution system, consumers in more than 200 countries enjoy our beverages at a rate of more than 1.8 billion servings a day. With an enduring commitment to building sustainable communities, our Company is focused on initiatives that reduce our environmental footprint, support active, healthy living, create a safe, inclusive work environment for our associates, and enhance the economic development of the communities where we operate. Together with our bottling partners, we rank among the world's top 10 private employers with more than 700,000 system associates. For more information, visit Coca-Cola Journey at www.coca-colacompany.com, follow us on Twitter at twitter.com/CocaColaCo or check out our blog, Coca-Cola Unbottled, at www.coca-colablog.com.
About NBA
The NBA is a global sports and media business built around three professional sports leagues: the National Basketball Association, the Women’s National Basketball Association, and the NBA Development League. The league has established a major international presence with games and programming in 215 countries and territories in 47 languages and NBA merchandise for sale in more than 125,000 stores in 100 countries on 6 continents. NBA rosters currently feature 85 international players from 36 countries and territories. The NBA’s digital assets include NBA TV, which is available in more than 61 million U.S. homes, and NBA.com, which averages more than 42 million page views per day, more than half of which originate from outside of North America. The NBA is the No. 1 professional sports league on social media, with more than 365 million fans and followers globally across all league, team, and player platforms. Through NBA Cares, the league and its teams and players have donated more than $210 million to charity, completed more than 2.3 million hours of hands-on community service, and created more than 760 places where kids and families can live, learn, or play.
About adidas
adidas has been providing innovative products for the world’s best athletes for more than 50 years, from past legends to today’s superstars, such as Derrick Rose, Dwight Howard and Candace Parker. On April 11, 2006 adidas and the National Basketball Association signed an 11-year global merchandising partnership making the adidas brand the official uniform and apparel provider for the NBA, the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) and the NBA Development League (D-League) beginning with the 2006-07 NBA season.
For more information, visit news.adidas.com, adidas Basketball Facebook page, www.adidasbasketball.com, follow @adidasHoops on Twitter.
About The Levi’s® brand
The Levi’s® brand epitomizes classic American style and effortless cool. Since their invention by Levi Strauss & Co. in 1873, Levi’s® jeans have become the most recognizable and imitated clothing in the world – capturing the imagination and loyalty of people for generations. Today, the Levi’s® brand portfolio continues to evolve through a relentless pioneering and innovative spirit that is unparalleled in the apparel industry. Our range of leading jeanswear and accessories are available in more than 110 countries, allowing individuals around the world to express their personal style. For more information about the Levi’s® brand, its products and stores, please visit levi.com.
About Beats by Dr. Dre®
Established in 2008 as the brainchild of legendary artist and producer Dr. Dre and Chairman of Interscope Geffen A&M Records Jimmy Iovine, Beats Electronics is the parent company of the Beats by Dr. Dre® line of high-quality headphones, BeatsAudio™ HD-sound systems, and the MOG digital music service. The company’s mission is to build quality music experiences for all elements of the digital music ecosystem—including headphones, devices and services – so that fans can hear music the way artists intended it to sound in the studio. This includes partnerships with computer manufacturer HP, automotive manufacturer Chrysler Group and mobile phone manufacturer HTC Mobile.
Led by CEO Jimmy lovine and President & COO Luke Wood, Beats Electronics is based in Santa Monica, CA. For more information, please visit http://beatsbydre.com.
About New Era®
New Era is an international lifestyle brand with an authentic sports heritage that dates back over 90 years. The brand is best known for being the official on-field cap for Major League Baseball and the official cap for the National Football League. New Era is the brand of choice not only for its headwear collections, but also for its accessories and apparel lines for men, women and youth. The brand is worn as a symbol of self-expression by athletes, artists and some of the most interesting people around the globe. New Era encourages people to “FLY YOUR OWN FLAG®” - to truly express their personal style and individuality through its products. The Company is headquartered in Buffalo, N.Y. and operates facilities in Canada, Europe, Brazil, Japan and Hong Kong. For more information, visit www.neweracap.com.
About MCM
Born during the heydays of Munich, MCM embodies the rebellious yet sophisticated, and culturally rich spirit of the city. A long-time favourite of international royalty, celebrities and VIPs, MCM draws on its tradition of prestige and quality. The brand has inherited the notion of revolutionized travel that stems from the 1900s, thus the logo symbolizes 1900 in Roman numerals.
MCM continues to be the pioneer of the market by continuously evolving with clever designs, durable materials, and delivering versatile styles to suit every need. Bag styles run from classic black and tan to statement-making models in strong colours. The brand offers sophisticated handbags, practical and stylish luggage, functional business bags and trendy small leather goods, all crafted from materials such as leather, fabric and exotic skins.
MCM has boutiques in major cities such as Athens, Berlin, Düsseldorf, London, New York, Beijing, Shanghai, Hong Kong and Seoul. The brand is also sold by prestigious retailers in key markets including the US, the UK, Dubai, Italy, and Russia.
About RVCA
RVCA is the brainchild of company founder and president, PM Tenore. Transcending the boundaries of traditional action sports apparel, RVCA is a design-driven lifestyle brand free from passing trends. Appearing as a natural on the shelves of boutiques such as those of a local skate shop, RVCA is brought together by a group of like-minded individuals from various subcultures, a collaboration of sorts, a lifestyle within itself.
The Coca-Cola Company
Susan Stribling, 404-676-4120
sstribling@coca-cola.com
Source: The Coca-Cola Company
Released April 4, 2013