Hanesbrands Inc
(336) 519-4400
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
News
Media contacts:
Matt Hall, Hanesbrands Inc., (O) (336) 519-3386,
(M) (336) 251-3689, matt.hall@hanesbrands.com
Elizabeth
Castro, O’Malley Hansen Communications, (708) 358-1130
HANESBRANDS INC. AND ITS CHAMPION AND DUOFOLD APPAREL
BRANDS LAUNCH
Expedition Hanesbrands, with a
WINSTON-SALEM,
N.C. (Sept. 23, 2009) – Hanesbrands Inc. announced today that its Champion and Duofold apparel brands are going to the top of the world, leading a
Mount Everest expedition to drive brand awareness and showcase the company’s
research and development innovation and textile science leadership.
“Expedition
Hanesbrands: Climb With Us” will be lead by accomplished international mountaineer
and motivational speaker Jamie Clarke and will begin next month with a training
climb of Mount Pumori in Nepal, a 23,494-foot-high Himalayan neighbor to Mount Everest. The Everest summit bid will take place in the
spring 2010 Himalayan climbing window.
An
expedition launch news conference will be held live today at 10:30 a.m. EDT
from
When
Clarke, 41, and his team head to Pumori next month, they will be testing new cutting-edge
apparel, including socks, base layer, insulating layer, and soft- and
hard-shell garments, developed by Hanesbrands R&D team using more than 100 years
of expertise and product innovation in the company’s Champion athletic apparel and Duofold
base layer product lines. In January
2010, Hanesbrands expects to unveil a one-of-a-kind summit suit designed to
keep Clarke warm and mobile in the high winds and severe cold on the highest
reaches of 29,035-foot Everest, the highest peak in the world.
Hanesbrands Inc. and its
Champion and Duofold Apparel Brands Launch
The
expedition will feature two Web sites to follow the team’s progress, including Champion’s “Climb Everest With Us” Web site
that houses an online community for users to declare their own personal Everest
and a chance to win to win $10,000 to fulfill their dream. The site is located at www.ClimbEverestWithUs.com.
The Champion brand was founded in 1919 and offers products across a wide continuum – from team uniforms and performance apparel to stylish activewear and collegiate gear. Duofold, founded in 1906, is a leader in high-performance base layer apparel, and has been used in high-altitude mountaineering expeditions since the time of the first summit of Everest.
“Champion and Duofold have a long history of authenticity and innovative apparel,” said Kevin Hall, executive vice president and general manager of outerwear for Hanesbrands. “This expedition is a great way for us to leverage our history and expertise through marketing programs, including engaging and informative Web sites and consumer contests. By bringing the strengths of both brands together, we are also exploring new cold-weather training gear inspired by the research and development we are doing for the noncommercial apparel Jamie will use high on Everest.”
Hanesbrands
is also kicking off a “What’s Your Everest” wellness program for its
headquarters employees. Participants
will undergo a comprehensive health screening to set their fitness baseline and
will meet with a health coach to set their wellness Everest and create a path
to reach their goals. Clarke will visit
Hanesbrands headquarters tomorrow to trek through the offices to engage
employees and unveil the program.
Clarke, of
“My goal through Expedition Hanesbrands is to inspire people to achieve their dreams, especially the dreams that may feel unattainable,” Clarke said. “I have chosen adventure as my vehicle for inward and outward exploration. I am excited about going back to Everest with great partners in Champion, Duofold and an industry-leading R&D team.”
Champion “Climb Everest
With Us” Marketing Programs
Champion has launched its ClimbEverestWithUs.com Web site to track the expedition and host the “What’s Your Everest?” online social community. Written or video entries submitted online by Dec. 31, 2009, are eligible to win a $10,000 prize to help the winner achieve his or her personal Everest.
Hanesbrands Inc. and its
Champion and Duofold Apparel Brands Launch
Each entry will be featured on the site where visitors can share, view and comment. The site acts as an online community that allows others to provide support and advice to those who have submitted an entry. A Facebook application allows participants to directly link to their personal Facebook pages for easy sharing of dreams with friends.
“Champion believes our own summit awaits each of us,” said Claire Edgar, Champion brand marketing director. “Champion’s Everest expedition can use the symbolism of the highest peak in the world to help all of us achieve our own goals and dreams. Champion is all about ‘How You Play.’”
The Champion ClimbEverestWithUs.com Web site
will also feature weekly inspirational videos from Clarke called Steps to the
Other
Web site content includes expedition updates, photos, gear information and Champion apparel information.
Expedition
Hanesbrands Web Site
Expedition
Hanesbrands’ ClimbWithUs.com Web site
will feature articles about
Twitter
users may follow the expedition at http://twitter.com/ClimbWithUs.
Regenold
and Pearson have been hired to form a communications team for the expedition
and assist in the development of content for the Web sites. They will join the climbing team at Everest Base
Camp next spring and will have the opportunity to test and experience some of
the specially-designed Champion and Duofold apparel being created for the
team.
Regenold
is best known as the The Gear Junkie
(www.gearjunkie.com) and for his
syndicated column of the same name. Pearson is a contributing editor for Outside
Magazine and Outside Online’s Gear Girl.
Gear
Development
Hanesbrands’
research-and-development scientists began working with Clarke last year to
develop apparel and gear for the expedition’s high altitudes and weather
challenges, including wind, snow and extreme sub-zero temperatures.
Hanesbrands Inc. and its
Champion and Duofold Apparel Brands Launch
Clarke
and the climbing team will begin testing prototypes of apparel that integrate
unique innovations in fabric technology, garment design, and cutting-edge
materials typically used outside the apparel industry.
“We
are developing a complete system of apparel for Jamie in which each layer works
in conjunction with the other layers, as well as independently,” said Mike
Abbott, Hanesbrands director of research and development. “We are using a combination of proprietary
expertise that we have developed in base layer and seamless garment technology
over several decades as well as techniques and materials that have never before
been used in apparel of any kind.
“At
Hanesbrands, we approach R&D as technology brokers. We often don’t have all the answers, but we
have the partnerships and relationships inside and outside the apparel industry
to find answers and solutions. We search
for proven concepts, in no matter what industry they are used, and figure out
how to reapply them to our business.”
The
goal of the apparel development was to create gear that was warmer, drier and
more comfortable while improving mobility for the climbers without adding
weight and bulk.
Some
of the features of Clarke’s test apparel include cellulosic yarn that has
imbedded material that changes phase from a solid to liquid to hold heat; a
seamless piece that has six different knit constructions to create varying
performance by area of the body; and brand-new stretch-woven fabric that
remains pliable at cold temperatures.
The
test apparel by layer includes:
Socks. Clarke will wear two layers of socks. The challenge was to create socks that wick
and retain body heat without bulk and weight.
The first layer (next to the feet) is a silk-weight sock that not only wicks
moisture but also has advanced qualities to retain body heat. The fabric uses embedded phase-change
technology where encapsulated material changes from a solid to a liquid state to
store body heat and returns the heat when feet start to cool by changing back
to a solid state.
The
second layer of socks will use either a wicking wool-blend fabric or a
hollow-fiber full synthetic yarn to create maximum insulation.
Base Layer (top
and pants).
One of the most technical pieces that Clarke will wear, the base layer top and
bottom garments benefit from the company’s more than 100 years of Duofold base layer experience and
innovation. The synthetic spandex-blend
fabric stretches in all directions for maximum mobility and comfort and
promotes wicking of moisture away from the body.
Hanesbrands Inc. and its
Champion and Duofold Apparel Brands Launch
Using
seamless construction, both the top and bottom base layer have at least six
knit techniques to create zones that deliver specialized characteristics. For example, the fabric has a raised surface
in the back to promote wicking moisture where Clarke’s pack will sit, while
compression in the shoulders help keep muscles loose and limber.
Insulation Layer
(top and pants).
The merino-wool-and-synthetic-blend fiber of the insulating layer works in
tandem with Clarke’s base layer to prevent catching, picking and snagging and
is a heavier weight version of Duofold’s
Varitherm High Performance Wool base layer sold
commercially. The garment has
significant insulating properties, has superior stretch and dries four times
faster than wool alone.
Soft Shell (top and pants). The soft shell is the workhorse jacket of the
line because it is versatile enough to be worn at many altitudes and in many
conditions. Its primary purpose is to
insulate. The full-zip three-ply construction
consists of an outer knit-stretch fabric for wind resistance that is new to the
market, a breathable film membrane as the middle ply, and a thermal grid fleece
inner layer to capture heat. No seam
pockets are placed to Clarke’s specifications.
The
soft-shell pants feature a one-ply polymer-coated fleece fabric that has an
abrasion-resistance surface but is still breathable, water repellant in light
rain and wind resistant.
Hard Shell (top
and pants). The fourth layer, or hard shell, will serve
as the outer layer in cold temperatures until Clarke reaches the highest camp
for his summit bid. The shell uses a
brand new two-ply stretch-woven fabric that remains pliable at cold
temperatures, giving Clarke added mobility.
The shell is water and wind repellant but breathable as a result of
micropores that channel vapor but keep water and wind out.
About
Jamie Clarke
Jamie Clarke, 41, has been
taking part in expeditions for more than 20 years. He has climbed the world’s seven highest
peaks and crossed the Empty Quarter in
Hanesbrands Inc. and its
Champion and Duofold Apparel Brands Launch
Relationship with Stephen Regenold and Stephanie Pearson
Stephen Regenold and Stephanie Pearson are being paid by Hanesbrands Inc. and its Champion brand as independent, objective freelance journalists to write website content and experience the journey to Mount Everest Base Camp. In no way has the company or brand paid for endorsements or reviews of its products. Any and all content, including written materials, developed by Regenold and Pearson for use on their own Web sites, blogs, etc., has been created authentically and without influence, input or prior approval by either Hanesbrands Inc. or Champion.
About Champion
Champion offers a full line of innovative athletic apparel for men and women including sport bras, activewear, team uniforms, sweats and accessories. Champion can be purchased at most sporting goods and department stores. For more information about Champion for men and women, visit www.championusa.com. Champion is a brand of Hanesbrands Inc.
About Duofold
Introduced in 1906, Duofold is a leader in base layer apparel for men, women and children. As an outfitter of the National Ski Patrol, Professional Ski Instructors of America and American Association of Snowboard Instructors, Duofold is the expert in helping winter athletes and outdoor enthusiasts perform at their best even under the most challenging weather conditions. Duofold is best known for its popular Varitherm and Originals cold-weather products. For more information visit www.duofold.com. Duofold is a brand of Hanesbrands Inc.
About Hanesbrands
Inc.
Hanesbrands Inc. (NYSE: HBI) is a leading marketer of innerwear, outerwear and hosiery apparel under strong consumer brands, including Hanes, Champion, Playtex, Bali, Just My Size, barely there and Wonderbra. The company designs, manufactures, sources and sells T-shirts, bras, panties, men`s underwear, children`s underwear, socks, hosiery, casualwear and activewear. Hanesbrands has approximately 45,000 employees in more than 25 countries. More information may be found on www.hanesbrands.com.
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