• by Tanya Gazdik , 8 hours ago

Abercrombie & Fitch will bring custom styling for NFL athletes, player-designed apparel and on-site event activations to the NFL.

The retailer, which is the league’s first official NFL fashion partner, first launched licensed NFL products in 2022.

Abercrombie’s aim is to redefine fan style through a fashion-first lens in partnership with the NFL, according to the company.

The collab demonstrates the league’s ongoing efforts to grow its fan base, especially with female fans. 

With women making up to close to half of the league's fans, fashion and sports are intersecting in new ways to provide them with options to showcase their fandom authentically on game day.

Both brands have other fashion-meets-sports partnerships.

Last week, Abercrombie & Fitch announced the debut of a multiseason partnership with Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker T.J. Watt and his wife, former professional soccer player Dani Watt. The first release of the co-designed collection for Abercrombie's activewear brand, Your Personal Best (YPB), has dropped online and in stores.

The NFL recently announced a partnership with Crocs. According to the NFL, the multiyear licensing agreement will entail an "NFL x Crocs" collaboration featuring team-inspired footwear and NFL-themed Jibbitz.

The Abercrombie deal includes athlete-led campaigns and player-designed apparel.

A national seasonal campaign “Style Concierge” features players known for their personal style off the field, including Christian McCaffrey (San Francisco 49ers), Amon-Ra St. Brown (Detroit Lions), CeeDee Lamb (Dallas Cowboys) and Tee Higgins (Cincinnati Bengals). 

The campaign represents the largest advertising investment the brand has made in the sports space and will run nationally across linear, CTV and HBO Max as well as Meta, TikTok and NFL-owned channels. 

In addition to the campaign, each player has partnered with Abercrombie to design limited-edition co-designed apparel, available for purchase this upcoming NFL season.

The brand will activate across NFL tentpole events, including select NFL international games and within its retail locations worldwide.

The NFL is partnering with brands that share its strategic vision, says Tracie Rodburg, senior vice president of global partnerships at the NFL.  The deal will help reinforces the league’s position as a growing leader in the fashion community while celebrating players’ dynamic style, Rodburg adds.

As part of the partnership, Abercrombie will launch the Abercrombie Style Concierge, a first-of-its-kind service providing curated outfitting for select NFL athletes. The program offers direct access to Abercrombie’s in-house styling experts, tailored to each athlete’s individual style and schedule.