Cleveland Cavaliers name Avery Dennison official embellishment partner
November 10, 2022
The Cleveland Cavaliers and Avery Dennison (NYSE:AVY), a global leader in materials science and solutions that connect the physical and digital worlds, today announced a new partnership that makes the Mentor, Ohio-based Fortune 500 company the “Official Embellishment Partner” of the NBA team.
The announcement comes on the heels of the expansion of Embelex™, Avery Dennison’s suite of solutions for on-garment branding for the global team sports market. They produce digitally-connected embellishments as well as names and numbers for the world’s biggest clubs and leagues including the English Premier League, FC Barcelona, and Real Madrid. Avery Dennison also recently announced their partnership as the cutting-edge embellishment partner of the San Francisco 49ers. The partnership with the Cavs represents their first foray into the NBA, while contributing to the community that Avery Dennison, and so many of its employees, call home.
As a signature element of the partnership, the Avery Dennison logo will appear on the upper right chest of the players’ shooting shirts and warm-up jackets. For the Cavs, this marks the first time in franchise history that a partner logo has been featured on these team garments. The logos were produced and applied by Avery Dennison themselves from their Miamisburg, Ohio production location. This is also the location where they produce Embelex for sporting events and international tournaments, including the World Cup to local community events.
Avery Dennison employs over 2500 people strong across manufacturing, corporate, sales, and marketing in Ohio. Their commitment to global DE&I initiatives is also evident through the many employee resource groups (ERGs) across the organization, including the LGBTQIA+ group, UNITE, which recently supported the 8th Annual Stonewall National Tournament and Summit held here in Cleveland last summer.
Avery Dennison will also have a presence throughout the Cavs community platforms during the 2022-23 season, including Women’s History Night, the annual Black Heritage Celebration, and the upcoming Cavs Employee Resource Group Summit.
“Our partnership with the Cleveland Cavaliers embodies our commitment to serving as a force for good in the communities where we operate,” said Michael Barton, senior vice president and general manager, Apparel Solutions, RBIS, Avery Dennison. “In addition to providing the Cavs with innovative Embelex solutions, we are proud to jointly support important DE&I initiatives that celebrate the culturally-inclusive fabric that is at the heart of the city of Cleveland,” he added.
The partnership continues Avery Dennison’s trailblazing innovations in fan engagement through teamwear. Their digitally-connected on-garment branding technology, Embelex, enables sports teams and brands to continue engaging with fans in new and exciting ways off the playing field. The Cavs will now be part of this journey to give their loyal fans the opportunity for on-site apparel customization and personalization during home games.
Matt O’Brien, Cavalier senior vice president of global partnerships, adds, “We’re excited to add Avery Dennison, another global company with Northeast Ohio roots, to our family of partners. This agreement is tied together by threads of innovation, hometown love and goodwill in our community. The organic connection that comes with teaming up with a local company like Avery Dennison is real, and it adds a unique layer of pride as we activate this partnership through our global platform.”