New Era Cap Tunes Into Its Lifestyle Consumer By Partnering With Microsoft's Zune

New Era Cap Tunes Into Its Lifestyle Consumer By Partnering With Microsoft's Zune

-Partnership Includes a Series of Limited-Edition Caps, Podcasts, and Events-

BUFFALO, N.Y., July 7 /PRNewswire/ -- Music, fashion and entertainment -- three things New Era and Zune have in common. And for the next year, the two brands will collaborate on limited-edition caps, podcasts and events targeted at the music-loving, trend-setting, lifestyle-conscious consumer.

As the leading headwear designer and manufacturer, New Era will work with Zune, Microsoft's music and entertainment brand, to create four (4) limited-edition 59FIFTY caps that will feature custom designs from musical artists. To complement the release of each cap, Zune will produce a limited number of customized digital media players featuring the cap design.

"When you look at New Era and Zune, you can see that both target similar consumers with similar tastes," said Gerry Matos, Senior VP of Marketing at New Era. "In partnering together, we continue to be part of the trend that bridges the gap between music and fashion in our respective industries."

As part of the partnership, New Era will create a podcast series that will be available exclusively on Zune Marketplace and New Era's website for a limited time. The podcasts will feature original programming including 5-7 minute segments on fashion, entertainment, music and sports. There will be 28 webisodes that will feature exclusive collaborations with celebrity artists and musicians of various musical genres. Two podcasts are set to be released each month beginning on July 22.

The first podcast entitled "Drummer Boy" will feature an exclusive interview with Travis Barker, one of the leading influencers of music, fashion, and media. "Rampage" will feature UFC Light Heavyweight champ Quinton "Rampage" Jackson discussing his evolution as an athlete as he has become one of the world's best fighters. Also scheduled is a tribute to Design and Innovation in the worlds of fashion, technology, publishing, marketing, film, and music. This segment will feature interviews with art directors, designers, and editors from industries that matter to today's global youth culture.

"Teaming up with a brand like New Era is a natural fit for us," said Damian Bulluck, Senior Manager of Product Marketing for Zune. "It allows us to continue to deliver unique content and experiences that blend music, fashion, and entertainment."

To celebrate the launch of each limited-edition cap, New Era and Zune will host quarterly release events at one of New Era's Flagship stores or at Zune L.A., a new venue created to bring the Zune brand experience to life through creative expressions of art, music and technology. The intimate events will feature:

   -- New Era limited-edition caps and Zune devices on display   -- Celebrity appearances and performances by collaboration artists   -- Guest celebrities and live deejay sets   -- Autograph signings and limited signed merchandise   -- VIP areas with full bar amenities    

The kick-off event will be July 8th at Zune L.A. and will coincide with the launch of the Travis Barker limited-edition cap. Barker will be hosting the event, which will also include photo opportunities, autograph signings, and a live set by DJ Spider.

Barker's limited-edition cap is also part of New Era's exclusive CAPTURE THE FLAG(R) (CTF) collection. CTF, introduced in 2004, is a collection of artist-inspired headwear, designed by individuals who are pioneers in their own right, symbolizing passion, constant change and capturing the essence of originality.

True to Barker's roots, the cap features a drum pad pattern inspired by an MP3 drum machine. The cap is graphite and black and is finished off with a black satin lining. 150 caps will be released on the market July 10th and will be priced at $125 (USD). They'll be sold globally at New Era flagship stores and online at www.neweracap.com, as well as at select New Era retailers in North America, Germany, and Japan.

Zune is Microsoft's music and entertainment brand that provides an integrated digital entertainment experience. The Zune platform includes a line of wireless digital media players, the Zune Marketplace online store, and Zune Social online music community. Fans can visit a special page designed exclusively for New Era in the Zune online community at www.zune.net/neweraxzune.

About New Era

Founded in 1920, New Era Cap Company, Inc., the leading headwear manufacturer and creator of New Era Apparel, brings to market products that transcend time, culture, sport and fashion. Producing more than 35 million caps per year, New Era is the exclusive manufacturer and marketer of the official on-field cap worn by every Major League Baseball team and their Minor League affiliates and maintaining agreements with other licensed entities. On the street, New Era is known as the Originator of the True Fitted for its signature cap style, the 59FIFTY. Some of the Company's core markets include Action Sports, Children, Fan, Women and Fashion/Lifestyle. The Company, headquartered in Buffalo, New York, employs approximately 1,700 people world- wide in New York, Alabama and at its operations in Canada, Europe, Japan and Hong Kong. New Era is a 'Category A' affiliate of the Fair Labor Association. For more information, visit www.neweracap.com.

   Contact:   Dana Marciniak, New Era Cap Co.   (716) 604.9259   dana.marciniak@neweracap.com    Tania Castillo, New Era Cap, Co.   (716) 604.9000 x1439   tania.castillo@neweracap.com  

First Call Analyst:
FCMN Contact:

Source: New Era Cap Co.

CONTACT: Dana Marciniak, +1-716-604-9259, dana.marciniak@neweracap.com,
or Tania Castillo, +1-716-604-9000 Ext. 1439, tania.castillo@neweracap.com,
both of New Era Cap Co.

Web site: http://www.neweracap.com/
http://www.zune.net/neweraxzune

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Profile: International Entertainment