British Knights
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| Industry | Sporting goods |
|---|---|
| Founded | New York City, United States (1983) |
| Products | Shoes |
| Owner | British Knights Ewoud Ronner |
| Website | www |
British Knights is a shoe brand founded in 1983 by Jack Schwartz Shoes Inc., based in New York City. In the 1980s, British Knights distinguished themselves as an inner-city and music driven brand, appealing to the predominantly male youth in urban communities.
British Knights was launched in 1983 as a casual shoe brand. In 1985 they introduced their first sneaker collection and sales exploded. In an environment where brands kept the same style in their line for years, British Knights was one of the first brands to recognize that the sneaker business was more about fashion than performance. By introducing a new collection three to four times a year, it became popular among 15- to 24-year-old males in urban communities. The classic, “the shoe ain’t nothin’ without the BK button” became the brand’s mantra in reference to the diamond-shaped BK logo plate which was on every shoe.
Marketed as a fashion brand vs. a performance brand, British Knights was one of the first brands to utilize hip hop artists as endorsers, enlisting Kool Moe Dee for the brands introduction to TV. “How Ya Like Me Now” was broadcast on the worldwide music channel MTV. The brand was also featured prominently in hip hop and dance music videos by artists such as Public Enemy, Technotronic and Beats International.
In 1990 British Knights embarked on its biggest marketing push when they signed musician MC Hammer to a full endorsement deal. The biggest star in the music industry at that time, the Hammer phenomenon appealed to a broad audience. British Knights sponsored his tour, did in-store events and contests, in addition to the traditional television, print and radio media campaigns. An anti-drug campaign also featured him in a British Knights sponsored television spot. Awareness of the brand increased tremendously and the brand crossed over to a more mainstream market.
British Knights introduced Dymacel, their first technology shoe in 1991. The technology consisted of diamond-shaped green silicon cushioning embedded within a sole window. This was to effectively absorb shock by dispersing vertical impact energy into a horizonal plane while maximizing energy return. Dymacel maintains its memory after repeated compression.
In 1991, British Knights signed on their first professional athlete to endorse Dymacel - Derrick Coleman of the New Jersey Nets. Coleman was the number one draft pick in 1990, he won the Rookie of the Year Award in 1991 while playing for the Nets, and was chosen for the Dream Team II, which captured the gold medal at the World Championships in Toronto in 1994. He also played in the All-Star game that year. Coleman wore his BK Dymacel in all of these games, while appearing in TV, print and radio ads.
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Wikipedia