Saucony Originals® Partners with Universal Record Database to Break and Set Records Earning Free Kicks at Pitchfork Music Festival 2009
CHICAGO, IL (July 16, 2009) – This week at the Pitchfork Music Festival, Saucony Originals is helping music fans get their kicks—for free. Team Saucony Originals is partnering with Universal Record Database, an open, participatory database for world records, and heading off to Chicago’s Union Park for three days of record-breaking competitions at the uber-cool annual summer music event. The festival is a three-day bash showcasing over 40 of independent music’s best bands and artists on three stages. The event runs from Friday, July 17, through Sunday, July 19.
Festival revelers can choose from a list of 30 documented records that will give them the chance to win a pair of Saucony Originals and indelible, unrivaled glory. Records ready to be broken include, “Fastest Time to Shave One’s Mustache,” “Most David Lee Roth Kicks in One Minute,” and, as a tribute to the late “Gloved One,” “Most Michael Jackson Songs Named in 30 Seconds.” Participants will also have the chance to set the record for “The Most People to Hold One Shoe.” As a Saucony Jazz Original is passed around the festival, fans can take a photo with the shoe and upload it to Twitpic or Flickr to document the attempt.
“Records are made to be broken, and we believe that everyone is worthy of setting
one,” said Mary O’Brien, vice president of marketing for Saucony. “This is a fun way for
individuals to express themselves in an environment and atmosphere that is open and creative. We invite everyone to come by the Saucony Originals’ tent and set their own record in something fun and distinctive,” said O’Brien.
There will also be group records to set such as the “Largest Group of People Singing ‘Saturday in the Park’ by Chicago.” Imaginative, brazen fans will also be encouraged to be creative and set new records—worthy of breaking!—from a heaping prop pile courtesy of Saucony.
Additionally, Saucony is calling on all participating bands to help in the fight against childhood obesity by signing a pair of Saucony Originals to be auctioned off on eBay.
All proceeds from the auction will go to the Saucony Run for Good Foundation,
established by Saucony to help combat childhood obesity by providing financial support to community-based youth running programs.
The genesis of the Saucony Originals Collection began in 1981, when Saucony launched the Jazz,the most technical performance running shoe of its time, establishing the brand’s legendary fit and triangular outsole lugs. The Jazz would later become the most popular shoe in Saucony’s history and the champion of the Saucony Originals Collection, which also includes the Courageous and the Shadow 6000, among others.
The Saucony Originals Team will be encouraging record-breaking attempts at the Saucony Originals Tent on all three days of the Pitchfork Music Festival at 1501 West Randolph in Chicago’s Union Park at the corner of Ashland and Lake Streets.
About Saucony, Inc.
Saucony, Inc., a subsidiary of Collective Brands (NYSE: PSS) and a division of The Stride Rite Corporation, is a leading global supplier of performance athletic footwear and apparel with its widely recognized brands Saucony and Saucony Originals. For more information, go to www.saucony.com.
About Saucony Originals
As Saucony moves forward and continues to establish itself as a leading technical running company, it is also placing a renewed dedication to the retro fashion category that is Originals. Built around the Jazz O, Saucony has a number of authentic running shoes that have been brought back to celebrate the company’s glorious past. From the Courageous to the Trainer 80, these shoes have all played a significant role in Saucony's authentic running history. www.saucony.com/originals
Contact Information:
Sharon Barbano
Vice President, Public Relations
Saucony, Inc.
617-824-6126
sharon.barbano@saucony.com
Jeff Lawrence
Mullen
617-226-9945
jeff.lawrence@mullen.com