LOUIS VUITTON, AN EXCLUSIVE PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENT WITH THE NBA
Spotlight on the NBA, more popular than ever! Rumors had been circulating on the web for several days and it was two days before the NBA event in Paris between the Milwaukee Bucks and the Charlotte Hornets, that the famous American basketball league officialized an exclusive partnership over several years with Louis Vuitton.
Why such a collaboration? The very prestigious house of the luxury giant LVMH wants to become more involved in the world of high level sports, by wishing to tackle the American market today through its star sports league and one of the most followed franchises in the world, the NBA.
This unprecedented global partnership makes Louis Vuitton the first official creator of the Trophy Trunk. The creator of trunks for the most coveted trophies in the world (World Cup football, Rugby World Cup, Roland Garros and Davis Cup), this multi-year partnership with the NBA is the first collaboration between Louis Vuitton and a sports league in the United States.
Manufactured in the company's historic Asnières workshops, the custom-built trunk will ensure that the Larry O'Brien Trophy, which will be awarded next June to the winning team at the closing ceremony of the NBA championship, will be perfectly showcased. With a white "V" symbolizing both the Vuitton V and the Victory V, the trunk features details in red and blue, the colors of the American league
Michael Burke, President of Louis Vuitton, added that "The House was proud to continue this tradition by associating itself today with such an emblematic event. Victory also travels with Louis Vuitton.
On the NBA side, while the financial terms of the partnership were not disclosed, NBA Chief Operating Officer Mark Tatum publicly welcomed the agreement: "This partnership underscores the genuine synergy between the NBA and Louis Vuitton, two institutions that share common values such as tradition and transmission. This is a unique opportunity to bring the ultimate reward of our championship to our fans around the world.
In addition to the unique creation of the "Official Basketball League Trophy Trunk", the brand announced the future marketing of a co-branded capsule collection, Louis Vuitton X NBA. At the helm of the collaboration? The designer and artistic director, Virgil Abloh, who presented the new Fall/Winter 2020-2021 Men's collection by Louis Vuitton at Paris Fashion Week on January 16. With this collaboration announced for next autumn, the designer should propose a line of accessories and clothing.
Once again this year, Louis Vuitton is the most powerful French brand, topping the Kantar list of the most influential French brands, with a brand value of $53.4 billion, up 15%. And as Thibaut de La Rivière, director of Sup de luxe, notes, "the strategy of this exceptional house is particularly audacious and multiplies events such as the very recent acquisition of the second largest diamond in the world."