HanesBrands Named Primary Licensee for Ohio State University Fan Apparel

The global apparel manufacturer will deliver an assortment of elevated brands to Buckeye students, alumni and fans through a six-year agreement

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--HanesBrands today announced an agreement with The Ohio State University to serve as one of the University’s primary licensees for select fan apparel products. Through the agreement, brokered by trademark licensing agent Beanstalk, HanesBrands will deliver an assortment of Ohio State-branded men’s, women’s, youth and infant/toddler fan apparel across the mass, mid-tier, and campus retail channels.

HanesBrands has served as a college licensee with its Champion brand for more than 30 years, and the company has demonstrated strong commitment to environmentally and socially responsible business practices that will enhance Ohio State’s brand and student experience. Ohio State will gain access to academic resources through internships, market research studies and participation by HanesBrands executives in university programs and projects. They will also facilitate corporate social responsibility trips for students and staff to visit manufacturing facilities and review the company’s socially responsible business practices.

The long-term agreement provides a multi-million dollar royalty revenue commitment to Ohio State and will offer a broad portfolio of consumer brands including Champion, which has not been available to Buckeye fans for more than five years, along with Alternative Apparel, Gear for Sports, ComfortWash, and Knights Apparel.

“Securing this relationship with Ohio State, one of the most successful college properties in retail, is a big honor for HanesBrands,” said John Fryer, the company’s president of sports apparel. “We produce more than 30 million licensed garments per year, and 80% of our products are made in Hanes-owned facilities or through dedicated contractors, which gives us greater oversight to ensure our products are manufactured in an environmentally and socially responsible way. We are proud to work with a school that recognizes the importance of social responsibility, and we look forward to delivering an assortment of elevated brands to Buckeye fans and students for years to come.”

As part of the agreement, HanesBrands will also provide elevated retail experiences with unique on-campus concept shops and leverage its strategic partnerships with key retailers for premium distribution and in-store presentation for Ohio State apparel.

Now HanesBrands, in addition to Ohio State’s official side-line licensee Nike, will serve as the lead apparel licensees in Ohio State’s comprehensive licensing program that includes many fashion and performance brands to outfit Buckeye Nation.

To learn more about:

The Ohio State University

At The Ohio State University, we champion human potential through unrivalled experiences that bring together expertise, ideas and resources. Together, we empower people and their potential to advance innovations, solve unrelenting problems and anticipate the unimagined – propelling humanity forward at a scale few other can match. More than 66,000 students across six campuses select from 200-plus undergraduate majors and more than 280 master’s, doctoral and professional degree programs. As Ohio’s best and one of the nation’s top-20 public universities, Ohio State is further recognized by its top-rated academic medical center and a premier cancer hospital and research center. Ohio State’s licensing program, one of the most successful collegiate licensing programs, further fuels student scholarships and learning experiences. For more information, visit http://osu.edu and http://trademarklicensing.osu.edu.

HanesBrands.

HanesBrands (NYSE:HBI), based in Winston-Salem, N.C., is a socially responsible leading marketer of everyday basic innerwear and activewear apparel in the Americas, Europe, Australia and Asia-Pacific. The company sells its products under some of the world's strongest apparel brands, including Hanes, Champion, Alternative, and Gear for Sports. The company sells activewear, including T-shirts, performance sportswear, sports bras, sweatshirts and other fleece, and socks produced in the company's low-cost global supply chain. A Fortune 500 company and member of the S&P 500 stock index (NYSE: HBI), Hanes has approximately 63,000 employees in more than 40 countries. Hanes takes pride in its strong reputation for ethical business practices. For more information, visit the company's corporate website (www.hanes.com/corporate), sustainability website (www.hbisustains.com) and newsroom at https://newsroom.hanesbrands.com/.

Beanstalk

Beanstalk, a global brand extension licensing agency, works closely with our clients to unlock brand equity and create many of the world’s most recognizable products and services. We help leading brands, celebrities, media properties, manufacturers and retailers creatively find ways to strengthen their relationship with their most important stakeholder – the consumer. Beanstalk offers a breadth of services across our practice areas, including brand representation, digital media representation (Tinderbox), manufacturer representation, consulting (Blueprint), creative services (STUDIO B), legal and financial services, and royalty auditing. The company is headquartered in New York, with offices in London, Miami and Cincinnati and affiliates throughout the world. For more information, please visit www.beanstalk.com. Beanstalk is a member of the Omnicom Specialty Marketing Group, which is part of the DAS Group of Companies, a division of Omnicom Group Inc. (NYSE: OMC).