SKECHERS Announces Marketing Campaign Starring Basketball Legend Karl Malone
New Shape-ups "Comeback" Spots to Feature Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Cameos and Follow Joe Montana's Successful Campaign
MANHATTAN BEACH, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- SKECHERS USA, Inc. (NYSE:SKX), a global leader in the footwear industry, today announced that the Company is launching a series of Shape-ups fitness footwear television spots starring NBA basketball legend Karl Malone along with guest star Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. The spots will spearhead a worldwide Shape-ups "Comeback" campaign for Malone, who will appear in the Company's print advertisements, visuals and marketing collateral through 2011.
"To everyone who's too busy to work out, you're out of excuses," said Karl Malone. "Shape-ups are easy and they really make your muscles work. I've got more strength in my legs and core, and my energy level is up. They're even easier on my joints than other shoes. I'm excited to stand behind this shoe because it delivers."
"We're so proud to see Shape-ups embraced by the greatest sports icons - and the incredible reactions that so many consumers are having to our product," said Michael Greenberg, president of SKECHERS. "To have not one but two basketball legends endorsing Shape-ups is a tremendous honor - and, we believe, a terrific way to expose more sports fans, fitness-minded consumers, and new customers to the benefits of Shape-ups."
The "Comeback" spots, which show Malone sharing the benefits of Shape-ups, will air nationwide on major networks beginning tonight, October 19, during the Major League Baseball NLCS (National League Championship Series).
An NBA two-time MVP and one of the sport's greatest power forwards, Malone scored the second most points (36,928) in NBA history as a star player for Utah Jazz and the Los Angeles Lakers. He trails only fellow Lakers player Abdul-Jabbar, who is regarded as one of the best players of all time with 38,387 points and six NBA championship titles.
The Malone/Abdul-Jabbar launch follows the Company's successful Shape-ups "Comeback" multimedia campaign featuring Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterback Joe Montana, which is appearing worldwide through 2010.
Launched by the SKECHERS Fitness Group(TM), Shape-ups are technical walking shoes designed to strengthen muscles, promote weight loss, and improve posture. Featuring a rocker-bottom outsole and Resamax(TM) kinetic wedge that together simulate walking on soft sand, Shape-ups provide a constant natural instability, activating muscles with every step. The Shape-ups fitness footwear collection for men and women is available in sporting goods and department and specialty athletic stores worldwide.
About SKECHERS USA, Inc.
SKECHERS USA, Inc., based in Manhattan Beach, California, designs, develops and markets a diverse range of footwear for men, women and children under the SKECHERS name, as well as under several uniquely branded names. SKECHERS footwear is available in the United States via department and specialty stores, Company-owned SKECHERS retail stores and its e-commerce website, as well as in over 100 countries and territories through the Company's global network of distributors and subsidiaries in Canada, Brazil, Chile, and across Europe, as well as through joint ventures in Asia. For more information, please visit http://www.skechers.com.
This announcement may contain forward-looking statements that are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements include, without limitation, any statement that may predict, forecast, indicate or simply state future results, performance or achievements, and can be identified by the use of forward looking language such as "believe," "anticipate," "expect," "estimate," "intend," "plan," "project," "will be," "will continue," "will result," "could," "may," "might," or any variations of such words with similar meanings. Any such statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected in forward-looking statements. Factors that might cause or contribute to such differences include international, national and local general economic, political and market conditions including the global economic slowdown and the ongoing financial crisis and market instability; entry into the highly competitive performance footwear market; sustaining, managing and forecasting costs and proper inventory levels; losing any significant customers, decreased demand by industry retailers and cancellation of order commitments due to the lack of popularity of particular designs and/or categories of products; maintaining brand image and intense competition among sellers of apparel, accessories, footwear and other merchandise for consumers; anticipating, identifying, interpreting or forecasting changes in fashion trends, consumer demand for the products and the various market factors described above; sales levels during the spring, back-to-school and holiday selling seasons; and other factors referenced or incorporated by reference in the Company's Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2009 and the Company's Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2010. The risks included here are not exhaustive. The Company operates in a very competitive and rapidly changing environment. New risks emerge from time to time and the Company cannot predict all such risk factors, nor can the Company assess the impact of all such risk factors on their respective businesses or the extent to which any factor, or combination of factors, may cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statements. Given these risks and uncertainties, you should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements as a prediction of actual results. Moreover, reported results should not be considered an indication of future performance.
Source: SKECHERS USA, Inc.
Released Oct 19, 2010 • 9:00 am EDT