March 27, 2025
Steve Mason, VP/GM, Aftermarket and Embelex
In a world where the strength of unity is often hard to measure, one thing is certain: when we come together, we can make a lasting impact.
One of the reasons I feel so fortunate to lead Embelex™ is that we are in the business of Making Possible, which includes bringing visual representations of key social issues and opportunities for change to life. The power of our people, technology, clients and partners gives us a unique ability to tell compelling stories and support important causes.
This past week, Spanish football offered a glowing example of this.
Eagle-eyed fans will have noticed something different about their favorite players and teams. As the official strategic partner of the league, we produced the exclusive LALIGA VS Racism jerseys and armbands worn by top clubs in Spain. This partnership underscores our commitment to promoting inclusivity and tackling discrimination in sports. It also highlights the powerful messages we can help sports leagues, teams, and brands tell through on-product branding, graphics, and embellishments.
The landmark moment from last week builds on our exclusive agreement to supply the official sleeve badges, names and numbers with the LALIGA logo for both on-pitch and retail. This also includes use of our smart technology, enabling fans to scan the official embellishments on their jersey using their mobile phone to reveal a unique LALIGA experience.
At Embelex™, we have established an impressive portfolio working with other leading football leagues and teams, such as Euro 24 champions Spain and all 20 teams in the English Premier League (our agreement with the latter resulting in over 15 million names, numbers, and sleeve badges produced annually). This success extends beyond European football powerhouses to include collaborations with NFL teams such as the Dallas Cowboys, New York Jets, and San Francisco 49ers, as well as NBA franchises such as the Cleveland Cavaliers and Sacramento Kings. Most recently, we made the exciting move into the world of rugby, partnering with Canterbury to launch first-ever British & Irish Lions connected rugby jersey.
While fan engagement and on-garment branding continue to change, our commitment to helping customers innovate and drive inclusivity will always remain.
The good news is that anti-discrimination initiatives remain key commitments for leading sports teams and franchises on both sides of the Atlantic. As the official embellishment partner for the Cleveland Cavaliers, we are proud to have co-designed and produced celebratory patches issued to guests during pre-game receptions for the team’s Women's History, Hispanic Heritage, and Black History events. A simple yet effective way to support inclusion, bring people together, and demonstrate values.
I like to think of supporting others as a type of sport in its own right - not a select team we choose to follow, but an overarching unifier that brings us all together.
If you would like to learn more, drop me a message or click here.