Brand management firm Iconix Brand Group Inc. has extended a license with Grupo Dass for its Umbro brand.
The license has been extended for 10 years and gives Grupo Dass the right to design and sell Umbro-branded performance and lifestyle apparel, footwear and equipment in Brazil, Argentina and Paraguay through 2035. Grupo Dass, which manufactures and distributes sports brands in Latin America, is a long-time Umbro partner dating back to 1999.
Iconix CEO and president Bob Galvin said, “Extending Umbro’s relationship with Grupo Dass reinforces Iconix’s commitment to growing our brands globally.” Football, better known as soccer to Americans, is one of the most popular sports in Latin America, he said, noting that this allows for further ongoing collaboration.
“Thanks to the combination of our expertise with sports brands and Umbro’s authentic football heritage, the brand has thrived in the Latin American market,” Grupo Dass president Vilson Hermes said.
Iconix acquired Umbro in 2012 from Nike Inc., for $225 million, or a $357 million discount to Nike’s purchase price of $582 million back in 2008.
Umbro was founded in 1924 by brothers Harold and Wallace Humphreys as a British soccer lifestyle brand. The brand, still based in Cheadle in the U.K., is now a global player and operates in more than 100 countries. It also is a sponsor of more than 120 football clubs and 200 players worldwide. Ashlyn Harris, an American soccer star, was named Umbro’s first female brand ambassador in 2017.