Reunited to Break Expectations

ADIDAS REVEAL THE NEW MANCHESTER UNITED HOME KIT

THE START OF A RECORD BREAKING 10 YEAR PARTNERSHIP

TORONTO, Aug. 1, 2015 /CNW/ - adidas has today reunited with Manchester United to reveal the new home kit for the 2015/16 season. Manchester United is one of the most popular and successful sports teams in the world. The club has 659 million fans globally, making it one of the world's most-supported football clubs.

Taking inspiration from classic three-stripe United kits from the 1980s, adidas has reengineered these iconic designs with a modern twist, taking familiar style features that were loved by the fans and combined them with the latest performance technologies to produce innovative, modern classics. The new looks shirts include the latest in adidas lightweight and breathable technologies to ensure the players take to the pitch with the most innovative kit design ever.

The new home kit, which will be debuted in the opening game of the season at Old Trafford, features a classic v neck cut collar and three stripe design down the shoulder. There is also a graphic design on the hem of the shirt taken from the 1990 shirt famously worn by Ryan Giggs in his debut season.

The design of the new kits has been a personal passion for adidas designer, Inigo Turner who is a lifelong Manchester United fan. Turner comments:  "At adidas we have been on a real journey in creating these new kits for Manchester United. This landmark sponsorship is not the first time we have partnered with the Club and it is with these iconic kits of the past that we drew our inspiration from. We have aimed to break expectations by reengineering simple but impactful design features such as the classic v-neck collar and the iconic three-stripe detailing down the arms as our commitment to giving Manchester United a truly ground breaking kit for the 2015/16 season".

The new look shirts will be launched as part of the "Break Expectations" campaign, released by adidas to demonstrate the start of a new era for the football club as they return to the UEFA Champions League and start the 2015/16 season. The campaign imagery and short films are inspired by the club's iconic trident taken from the club crest and used by the players to set the tone for the forthcoming season.

Manchester United Group Managing Director, Richard Arnold comments:

"Everyone at Manchester United is very proud of the shirt's classic design, which draws upon the Club's iconic kits of yesteryear. Manchester United and adidas have a long and illustrious history in football, both leading the way in innovation and performance.

"The design of the 2015/16 kit will not only appeal to our loyal supporters, it will also showcase adidas' expertise in creating state of the art performance products for the football industry.

"We look forward to sharing the designs for our complete adidas range with fans via our 100m social media connections, as well as seeing them within the stadium and on the streets, creating a new classic design culture, opening a new chapter in Manchester United's history. 

We are proud to welcome adidas back to the Manchester United family and look forward to a successful and exciting future together."

Steve Marks, adidas Sports Marketing Director for Manchester United commented:

"This special club has always broken expectations. Sir Alex Ferguson's historic success, Beckham from the halfway line, the unlikely victory against Bayern Munich in 99, all of these moments demonstrate a club with not only a proud history but also a reputation for success and the unexpected. adidas is immensely proud to be part of that history and to be returning once again as partners of Manchester United Football club for another 10 years."

The home kit will be available to buy from today at adidas and Manchester United own-retail stores, specialist sports retailers and e-commerce channels worldwide.

To purchase the new adidas Manchester United 2015/16 kit, please visit www.adidas.com/manchesterunited  

Notes to editors:

About adidas Football

adidas is the global leader in football. It is the official sponsor / official supplier partner of the most important football tournaments in the world, such as the FIFA World Cup™, the FIFA Confederations Cup, the UEFA Champions League, the UEFA Europa League and the UEFA European Championships. adidas also sponsors some of the world's top clubs including Manchester United, Real Madrid, FC Bayern Munich, AC Milan, Juventus and Chelsea. Some of the world's best players also on the adidas roster are Leo Messi, Gareth Bale, Thomas Müller, Luis Suárez, James Rodríguez, Diego Costa and Mesut Özil.

About Manchester United

Manchester United is one of the most popular and successful sports teams in the world, playing one of the most popular spectator sports on Earth. Through our 137-year heritage we have won 62 trophies, enabling us to develop the world's leading sports brand and a global community of 659 million followers. Our large, passionate community provides Manchester United with a worldwide platform to generate significant revenue from multiple sources, including sponsorship, merchandising, product licensing, new media & mobile, broadcasting and match day.

SOURCE adidas Canada Limited

Image with caption: "The adidas Manchester United new home kit for the 2015/16 season features a classic v neck cut collar and three stripe design down the shoulder. The design on the hem of the shirt is taken from the 1990 shirt famously worn by Ryan Giggs in his debut season. (CNW Group/adidas Canada Limited)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20150801_C6083_PHOTO_EN_467844.jpg

DDB Public Relations, Suzanne Mandarino, Email: [email protected], Tel: [phone]