SKIMS Named Official Underwear Partner For NBA, WNBA, and USA Basketball...
Last week, Kim Kardashian and the NBA inked a game changing deal. The shape wear brand will be the official underwear partner for the NBA, WNBA and Team USA, an entry into the sports market...
Happy New Week,
Last week, Kim Kardashian’s $4 billion shape wear brand, SKIMS, signed a deal with the NBA, WNBA, USA Basketball as their official underwear partner. A true game changing brand partnership.
“Together, SKIMS and the NBA will connect people of all backgrounds through fashion, sport, and talent, and I look forward to seeing the partnership thrive.” Kim Kardashian
Founded in 2019, Skims started out as a women’s underwear, loungewear and shapewear brand expanding into menswear last month. In their latest brand awareness campaign they featured sports stars such as football icon Neymar Jr, 2022 NFL Defensive Player of the Year Nick Bosa, and NBA All-Star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. It’s clear that Skims is leveraging the pull of sports and sports personalities to generate demand around their new men's product line.
This basketball partnership is not Skim’s first entry into sports, as they were the official underwear of Team USA for the Tokyo 2020 and Beijing 2022 Games. The multiyear agreement gives Skims a presence at events including the NBA All-Star game, NBA In-Season Tournament, WNBA All-Star and the USA Basketball Domestic Exhibition Tour, with on-court signage as well as exposure across social and digital platforms.
This partnership also provides Skims with access to an expansive roster of athletes under the NBA & WNBA, which could lead to more of the high-profile endorsements that have become so native to the brand. With the NBA being one of the most popular leagues in the world, with a global audience of over 2 billion fans. Skims is positioning itself to reach a whole new generation of consumers.
The NBA is also able to tap into an underserved market, their current audience is predominantly male and by partnering with a female focused brand they are able to access and market to this audience. As Skims uses NBA imagery and athletes in their marketing this activates the NBA in front of a new audience of women that it hopes will become fans. Just as Skims wants to attract a new male audience, the NBA also wants to attract a female audience, so this is a marketing match made in heaven.
“ I look forward to bringing NBA fans and Skims users unique experiences, new offerings and premium products through our partnership.” Adam Silver, NBA Commissioner.
What’s also worthy of note is how aligned both brands are on their core ethos & brand values. Skims defines itself as a ‘solution-oriented brand’ that tackles body positivity by providing effective, technically-sound shapewear products. The NBA & WNBA are at the forefront of the sports world in terms of driving forward inclusivity, equality and diversity in the basketball space. Together this partnership can contribute to re-defining body positivity, style & inclusive apparel for all kinds of athletes.
This is another impressive move by Kim Kardashian and her team. This collaboration sends a powerful message about the intersection of apparel and sports. It reflects the evolving nature of apparel and sports collaborations. In recent years, the NBA has embraced popular culture and fashion trends especially with the “tunnel fits”, so it’s no surprise seeing the NBA welcoming a deal like this.