Eyewear firm Oakley Inc.’s sponsorship of Los Angeles Angels star Shohei Ohtani is one of several notable athlete and sports-related deals coming out of the Foothill Ranch-based company.
The recently announced partnership with one of the league’s better-known players adds another name to the Oakley roster of athletes that also includes the Kansas City Chiefs’ Patrick Mahomes, New York Yankees’ Aaron Judge and professional golfer Bubba Watson.
“Just three years after arriving in the United States, Shohei Ohtani has become one of the brightest stars in baseball,” Oakley Global Marketing Director Ben Goss said in a statement announcing the deal.
Ohtani began his professional career in 2013, playing in Japan as a pitcher and outfielder. 2018 marked his arrival in the U.S. as a Los Angeles Angels designated hitter and pitcher, and he was named American League Rookie of the Year. He’s the most prominent slugger-pitcher in baseball since Babe Ruth.
He spent most of last season off the mound after an arm injury, but is expected to resume his two-way act this season.
Oakley, as part of the deal, teamed with Ohtani on the Shohei Ohtani Collection, which is set for release this month.
“We work closely with our athletes to create new products with the technological advancements they need to perform, and we are excited to support Ohtani’s growth as both a player and Team Oakley athlete,” Goss went on to say.
The three-style collection includes Oakley’s Radar EV Path, Frogskins Lite and Mercenary sunglasses wrapped with heritage Japanese patterns and “Ohtani” on the frame’s interior.
The styles will be sold through Oakley’s online shop in addition to some of its stores in Japan and the U.S.
NFL Masks
Oakley could also have a large say in how the NFL and its players look during the upcoming season.
The firm, which last year became the “preferred eyewear provider” for the football league and is also the exclusive brand partner of the league for helmet visors, has designed a new type of “mouth shield” designed to protect players from COVID-19.
The Oakley Mouth Shield is a product designed by the firm in collaboration with doctors and engineers from the NFL and NFL Players Association. It aims to mitigate the spread of the coronavirus on the field.
Plastic sheets connect the visor area of the player’s helmet to the mouth shield. There are airways and openings on the mouth shield but none that allow the direct transmission of droplets, according to the company.
The new shields are expected to be distributed to all 32 teams this week for testing, according to reports.
The Los Angeles Chargers and Los Angeles Rams have already been trying out the product.
There is no mandate to wear a face shield for now, but the NFL’s medical experts recommend the use of the protective equipment. Safety protocol negotiations are still being discussed by the league and its players.
