CHICAGO (March 4, 2014) — The Chicago Fire Soccer Club unveiled its 2014 primary kit Tuesday afternoon at the 16th Annual Season Kickoff Luncheon, benefitting the Chicago Fire Foundation. In front of more than 700 guests in attendance, the Club revealed its new jersey as a part of MLS Jersey Week, an annual league-wide initiative created to celebrate the art, detail and nuance behind every club’s jersey and the passion that supporters have for their club.
In conjunction with adidas, the Fire designed a jersey that embodies the spirit of Chicago, drawing inspiration from the city’s flag and most iconic emblems. The front of the jersey is highlighted by the light blue color from the flag, while the back features the six-pointed stars on the Fire’s lenticular crest and the neck tape.
“What we wanted to do with this design was honor the Club’s past and its distinctive ties to the city, but also embrace the Fire’s forward movement with new, exciting features that represent the future and the progressive direction of the organization,” said Atul Khosla, chief operating officer for the Chicago Fire Soccer Club.
“As new jerseys are released annually for the league’s ongoing Jersey Week initiative, we will use the opportunity to creatively express the Fire brand and the city of Chicago each year, and we hope the supporters find that opportunity as exciting as we do.”
In keeping with tradition, the Club and adidas included one of the city’s most iconic attributes in the 2014 kit.
“This year’s look is inspired by the fire trucks of City of Chicago,” said Mike Walker, global product manager at adidas North America. “They have a distinctive look with a dark top, a band and red throughout the bottom half. Not only does this give a nod to the Chicago Fire Department, but it’s also a very iconic element of the city itself. We also thought it was so compelling to see the light blue color of the Chicago flag represented so powerfully across the front band of the kit.”
The 2014 jersey also includes new, innovative features, such as the band across the back that was created to accommodate the adidas miCoach system. When activated, this new function will provide players with the unique ability to track their movement and monitor progress. The feature will also be applied to the 2014 FIFA World Cup kits designed by adidas.
Another enhancement to the jersey is its weight. Weighing only 124 grams, the new jersey is 31 percent lighter than the previous, making it the lightest in Club history. This will allow for players to have extra freedom of movement and comfort while retaining resilience and durability on the field.
“The jersey is comfortable, really light, and let's you play your game," said Fire forward and reigning MLS MVP Mike Magee. "It looks pretty good on and I'm looking forward to hitting the field in the new kit this season."
The new Fire jersey will once again feature the Quaker logo across the front as the partnership between the Club and the trusted nourishment company continues in 2014. The Quaker Oats Company, a subsidiary of PepsiCo Inc., became the second jersey sponsor in club history in 2012 and continues to serve as the official Breakfast Foods and Nutritious Snacks Partner of the Fire.
“With Chicago as Quaker’s hometown, we are thrilled to see the essence of this great city infused into the design of the new jersey, and I’m excited to see its debut on the pitch,” said Jose Luis Prado, president of Quaker Foods North America. “We are pleased to continue our partnership with the Chicago Fire and help fuel healthy families in Chicago’s neighborhoods through fan experiences at games, community events and our support of the Chicago Fire Juniors youth program.”
The Fire will debut the jersey on the field during their home opener on Sunday, March 23, presented by Giordano’s Chicago Pizza. Kickoff is set for 2 p.m. CT at Toyota Park. For ticket information, call 1-888-MLS-FIRE (657-3473) or visit the Club’s official website at www.chicago-fire.com.
ABOUT THE QUAKER OATS COMPANY
The Quaker Oats Company, headquartered in Chicago, is a unit of PepsiCo, Inc., one of the world's largest consumer packaged goods companies. For more than 130 years, Quaker's brands have served as symbols of quality, great taste and nutrition. Holding leadership positions in their respective categories, Quaker® Oats, Quaker® Rice Cakes and Quaker Chewy® Granola Bars are consumer favorites. For more information, please visit www.QuakerOats.com, www.Facebook.com/Quaker or follow us on Twitter @Quaker.
ABOUT PEPSICO
PepsiCo is a global food and beverage leader with net revenues of more than $65 billion and a product portfolio that includes 22 brands that generate more than $1 billion each in annual retail sales. Our main businesses – Quaker, Tropicana, Gatorade, Frito-Lay and Pepsi-Cola – make hundreds of enjoyable foods and beverages that are loved throughout the world. PepsiCo's people are united by our unique commitment to sustainable growth by investing in a healthier future for people and our planet, which we believe also means a more successful future for PepsiCo. We call this commitment Performance with Purpose: PepsiCo's promise to provide a wide range of foods and beverages from treats to healthy eats; to find innovative ways to minimize our impact on the environment by conserving energy and water and reducing packaging volume; to provide a great workplace for our associates; and to respect, support and invest in the local communities where we operate. For more information, please visit www.pepsico.com.
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ABOUT CHICAGO FIRE SOCCER CLUB
The Chicago Fire Soccer Club is a premier franchise of Major League Soccer (MLS) that provides an engaging and authentic soccer experience for the city of Chicago and for all of its supporters around the world. The Fire enters its 17th season in 2014 looking to continue its winning legacy both on and off the pitch. The Club proudly embodies the spirit and diversity of our sport, and since its inception in 1997, the Fire have captured an MLS Cup in 1998, and remains the only MLS team to have won the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup four times. The Fire's home venue is Toyota Park, a world-class soccer stadium located minutes from downtown Chicago in Bridgeview, Ill. For more information on the Fire and to purchase tickets, please visit the Club's official website at www.Chicago-Fire.com.
