Sunday, May 11, 2008

HBC Clothing Launch


On May 1st the Hudson's Bay Company (HBC) launched the new Olympic clothing line for the Canadian Team heading to Beijing this summer. I was really excited to see what they had come up with for all of us especially since I had seen a few pieces before the big preview. A couple of months ago I got an amazing opportunity to be one of the 'models' for HBC's new Ad campaign for the Olympic line. They chose about 15 Canadian athletes from all different sports to be involved and not only did we get to experience a real photo shoot, which was really cool, but we got to see some of the new items too. Just from a few pieces I knew the line was going to be a really different, dramatic look and I thought it was perfect for these Games. We want to come out as a country looking strong, unique and powerful and I knew the designers would deliver for us. So May 1st rolls around and Canadians got a glimpse of what Team Canada is going to look like in august. Honestly, I can't be more shocked at people's reactions. Obviously not everyone is going to like it, but I think it's getting a little out of hand. I opened the newspaper the next day and read a huge article about how horrible the outfits are. I don't know about you, but I seriously think the line is a really powerful statement for Canadian athletes. The pieces aren't plain or boring, but full of life and truly represent our multiculturalism. They make us proud to be Canadian and show our competitors we won't go unnoticed. The designs use a chinese influence because the Games are in Beijing! I read a hilarious comment on the internet from a woman who thinks that people are going to mistake us for China and not Canada. How is that even possible? I think everyone loves to be a critic, but doesn't realize all that goes into designing for our athletes. We don't want just red and white simple items that look ordinary, we want clothes that are going to stand out. Personally, I can't wait to get it all when I arrive in Beijing and I am going to wear it proudly. Thanks HBC for doing a great job, we're going to look amazing over there. All our athletes need to feel we have the support of our country behind us, especially now with the Games so close. I understand if you don't like the line, but it can't be changed so why not talk about how great our athletes are going to do instead of what they're wearing.

ps. that's my ad in stores now :)

1 comment:

Team Darfur said...

Hello Alex,

My name is Brad Greiner and I am writing to you about a nonprofit I founded called Team Darfur. I am writing to you to invite you to add your name to our growing coalition of athletes on Team Darfur and am including some of the key points about our campaign that should help guide you in making a decision about joining.

Team Darfur is a coalition of over 325 elite athletes from 62 countries that have committed to raise awareness for Darfur. As an elite athlete, you have the opportunity to use your voice to raise awareness about what has been called the worst humanitarian crisis of today. My hope is that you will seriously consider joining our coalition today to spread the word about Darfur.

With the Olympic Games approaching, our athletes have been receiving a lot of attention for Darfur, and change is already starting to happen. Our athletes are turning up the international pressure on every country to do more to end the violence in Darfur, and it is working. We are asking every country sending athletes to Beijing to honor the ideals of the Olympics by using the next 3 months to get the peacekeeping force on the ground by August 8th, 2008.

Also, Canada plays quite a large role in helping to secure peace in Darfur, and therefore we're specifically targeting athletes from Canada at the moment to join. One of the key points of the Olympic Truce is: "to raise awareness and encourage political leaders to act in favour of peace." We feel that by adding your name and possibly speaking out, it will encourage the government of Canada to take stronger action to help bring peace, and an Olympic Truce, by the start of the Olympic Games.

Many of our athletes at first didn't feel comfortable speaking about Darfur, but this is where we come in. Team Darfur will provide you with all the necessary materials to quickly catch you up about the current situation in Darfur. We are also available to answer specific questions you may have at any time.

When you have a chance, check out what our athletes are up to at www.teamdarfur.org. Be sure to check out our athlete's blog posts to get a sense for ways our athletes are contributing. If you'd like to join after reviewing the site, please add your information to the "charter" page. If you sign, we will ship you a welcome package including Team Darfur gear to begin to raise awareness about this crisis.

Thank you for your time and please let me know if you have any questions about Team Darfur. It would be an honor to have you!

Have a great day,
Brad