As the Seattle Sounders prepare to begin their 11th season as a Major League Soccer club, the organization announced a major change to the on-field look of the team on Thursday.
Out is XBOX, the jersey sponsor of the team's first decade in MLS. In is Zulily, an online clothing retailer. Zulily was launched in 2010 and is headquartered in Seattle with offices in Nevada, Ohio and Pennsylvania. From the team's press release, Zulily "features an always-fresh curated collection for the whole family, including clothing, home decor, toys, gifts and more. Unique products from up-and-coming brands are featured alongside favorites from top brands, giving customers something new to discover each morning."
In addition to the Sounders, Zulily will also now become the jersey sponsor for the Seattle's National Women's Soccer League team, Reign FC. The announcement was made at the PACCAR Pavillion At Olympic Sculpture Park in Seattle with an audience of media, Alliance Council members, and team officials.
"It was quickly a no-brainer," Sounders FC Owner Adrian Hanauer said at the event regarding the partnership with Zulily. The organizational goals of the Sounders matched up well with Zulily to make the decision an easy one, as the club has found their new "long term" jersey sponsor.
In the release, Hanauer continues, "When searching for our next primary kit partner, we approached the process thoughtfully and with considerations beyond merely the front of our jersey. In Zulily, we have found a first class, Seattle-based organization that is not only invested in our community, but has made meaningful commitments to the growth of our sport throughout the region. Today's news doesn't just impact the future of Sounders FC, but it also supports youth soccer across the Puget Sound and the women's game for years to come. Zulily's desire to unify both professional franchises under one banner was something that stood out to us during this process, and speaks directly to our communal approach to the game in Seattle. On behalf of Sounders FC and our fan base, we could not be more thrilled to welcome Zulily into the Rave Green family."
Zulily is also undergoing a re-brand that includes the changing of their logo from the under flower-based logo (still being used on their website) to the new cursive writing-based logo featured on the jersey. According to Kevin Saliba, SVP of Marketing with Zulily, a logo redesign and re-branding was already scheduled, and happened to coincide with the Sounders FC partnership.
The partnership will allow Zulily's new logo to be featured on all "First Team match jerseys, team travel jackets, rain and stadium jackets, in addition to official team polo shirts" as well as "Sounders FC Academy jerseys later this season."
The club also announced on Thursday that they will give away one free 2019 Rave Green jersey on every day of the 2019 MLS regular season to a Season Ticket Member. Additionally, Zulily and Sounders FC each committed $26,000 to support cancer immunotherapy research at Seattle Children's Hospital on Thursday.
Photo gallery below is courtesy of Seattle Sounders FC.
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