Pony International

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PONY
Pony sports logo.png
Product typeFootwear, clothing
OwnerIconix Brand Group[1]
CountryUnited States
Hong Kong (present)
Introduced1972; 50 years ago (1972)
MarketsWorldwide
Websitepony-international.com

PONY is an American brand of footwear and clothing. It was founded in the United States and is now headquartered in Hong Kong under the company name PONY International.[2] The brand is currently property of Iconix Brand Group, which acquired rights in 2015.[1]

History[]

Founded in 1972 on Madison Avenue in New York City, PONY was created by industry veteran (and Uruguayan-born [3]) Roberto Muller, along with financing provided by Adidas Chairman Horst Dassler. The company's name is an acronym for Product of New York.[4] During the late 1970s and early 1980s, Pony became one of the top athletic brands worldwide. By the mid-1980s, PONY's sales volume reached US$800 million. The Pony brand has been worn by championship athletes in every major sport, including the FIFA World Cup, the NFL's Super Bowl, the CFL's Grey Cup, MLB's World Series, and the NBA Finals, as well as boxers, most notably James Buster Douglass on the night of his epic defeat over then-undefeated Champion Mike Tyson.

PONY was owned by the English-based company Pentland in the 1990s before a sale to The Firm entertainment group, based in Santa Monica, California. The Firm relaunched the brand in 2001 with celebrity entertainers including Justin Timberlake, Korn, Snoop Dogg and Paris Hilton.

In 2003, Global Brand Marketing, based in Santa Barbara, California, acquired a majority share of PONY, along with Symphony Holdings and Itochu Corporation. In 2006, PONY was purchased by Symphony Holdings,[5][6] a public company based in Hong Kong.[1] Symphony brought in former partner Infinity Associates (Mardy Cason and Bill Simon), who were the principals who purchased Converse from bankruptcy in 2001, turned the brand around and sold to Nike in 2003 for $305 million. Jim Stroesser, who was the key partner in rebuilding Converse, was asked to be the CEO/President of PONY in 2006. Stroesser's team relocated Pony from Santa Barbara, CA, to downtown San Diego, CA. PONY was in need of a complete turnaround, and Stroesser's team rebuilt the company's infrastructure and positioned the brand as one of America's most authentic sports brands. In 2010 the company's U.S. headquarters were moved to Los Angeles.

In February 2015, US corporation Iconix Brand Group acquired rights to the brand "PONY" from Symphony Holdings for US$ 37 million. Iconix acquired rights to North America, retaining option to expand global ownership. Iconix partnered Anthony L&S Athletics to carry out the purchase.[1]

Endorsees[]

PONY athletes Paolo Rossi, included Pelé, Dan Marino, Bob McAdoo, Nick Galis, Earl Campbell, Franco Harris, Lawrence Taylor, Willie Stargell, Reggie Jackson, Pete Rose, David Thompson, Spud Webb, Darryl Dawkins and Wilson Chandler. The PONY brand has a strong heritage in boxing, endorsing Muhammad Ali, George Foreman, Larry Holmes, and Leon Spinks.

Collaborations[]

Collaborations includes 5Preview, Apllebum, ,[7] Colette (boutique),[8] Dee and Ricky, Foot Patrol, Ricky Powell, JackThreads, Mark McNairy, Michael Michalsky, Ronnie Fieg, Rothco, The Smiley Company, UBIQ

Sponsorships[]

Originally PONY was known for producing athletic shoes. The company expanded its offerings to include sports clothing, producing streetwear. As a result, PONY has partnered with and been endorsed by non-athlete celebrities including Snoop Dogg, who in 2005 launched his Doggybiscuitz range.[9]

In sportswear, PONY also designed several soccer team uniforms in the 1990s, including clubs such as Oldham Athletic, Huddersfield Town, Dundee United, West Ham United, Hearts, Motherwell, Tottenham Hotspur, Coventry City, Southampton, Luton Town and Norwich City, Chile's Colo Colo, Mexico's Puebla, Club León, and Santos Laguna, among others.

PONY's endorsements include NFL star Randy Moss, who had his own line of American football cleats developed.[10] In basketball, PONY signed a deal with the American Basketball Association (ABA) in 2007, becoming the official shoe provider for all ABA players.[11]

References[]

  1. ^ a b c d Iconix acquires rights to Pony by Oliver Guyot on Fashion Newtork, 4 Feb 2015
  2. ^ "Our Headquarter [sic]". Pony International. Retrieved 10 June 2018.
  3. ^ Pony spring '14 collection on Nylon.com
  4. ^ PONY and Joey Bada$$ Are Bringing Back a Sneaker Classic by Christine Flammia on Esquire, Aug 14, 2017
  5. ^ DISCLOSEABLE TRANSACTION IN RELATION TO THE DISPOSALS OF AND THE GRANT OF OPTION OVER PONY TRADEMARKS AND RESUMPTION OF TRADING on Symphony Holdings, 2 Feb 2015
  6. ^ Symphony : (023) Trademark purchase agreement between PONY, Inc., PONY International LLC and US PONY Holdings, LLC on Market Screener, 14 Feb 2017
  7. ^ Art Comes First x PONY 2014 Spring/Summer Collection by Hypebeast, May 24, 2014 By Arthur Bray for Hypebeast
  8. ^ Colette & PONY Create Something Cool
  9. ^ PONY collection by Snoop Dogg on PONY.com (archived, 13 Apr 2006)
  10. ^ Randy Moss: Can He "Ride" Pony Back To Success? by Darren Rovell on CNBC, 6 Mar 2008
  11. ^ PONY Endorses the American Basketball Association by Thomas J. Ryan on SGB Media, Sep 11, 2007

External links[]

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