I emailed Quiksilver CEO Andy Mooney this morning to see how Kelly Slater’s decision to depart Quiksilver would impact marketing campaigns and products in development.
Mooney is devoting more marketing dollars to advertising, and has said that several new campaigns for Quiksilver, DC and Roxy are in the works, with some to debut this year.
Quiksilver put out a separate statement about the legacy of Kelly and what he meant to the brand over the years. I have reposted that statement under the response from Andy Mooney.
Andy Mooney on impacts to product and marketing plans
“Kelly informed us last summer that he wanted to independently develop his own line and we adjusted our product lines and marketing campaigns accordingly. He later reconsidered and said he did want to renew and we scrambled to add products in our AG47 collection and feature Kelly in ads that focused on the sustainable features of Repreve fabrication used in our top-of-the-line boardshort, the AG47 New Wave Bonded,” Andy said.
“Kelly informed us of his ultimate decision this week. It will have minimal disruption to our product and marketing plans, in that we’ll simply drop the last minute products and ads we added that were specific to Kelly but the core AG47 and Modern Originals product lines and marketing campaigns will proceed as originally planned.
“We debuted our AG47 line at the Gold Coast last month and the athlete response was very, very positive. Athlete endorsement will always be important to the Quiksilver brand and we continue to have a first class roster of established and up-and-coming athletes.
“The industry has become very formulaic in its use of athletes in marketing. Our current campaigns are product focused, as we wanted to take a different approach. Going forward, we want to feature athletes in new and different ways to grow the industry overall, as well as grow our own market share,” he said.
Quiksilver statement on Slater’s departure and legacy
Quiksilver Celebrates Kelly Slater as He Transitions into His New Business Venture
HUNTINGTON BEACH, CA – March 31, 2014 – Quiksilver and world-champion surfer, Kelly Slater, have announced they will be discontinuing their 23-year partnership, effective April 1, 2014. Quiksilver has reached many milestones with Slater over the years, including 11 ASP World Titles, countless World Champion Tour victories and collaborations in developing his progressive and successful Quiksilver collection.
Quiksilver Executive Chairman, Bob McKnight, first signed an 18 year-old Slater to the brand in 1990. “Kelly has been a part of the Quiksilver family for over 20 years. It’s been an incredible journey watching him grow from a young surfer with great potential, to the 11-time World Champion he is today.” McKnight continues, “We wish Kelly all the best as he enters this next phase of his career.”
Slater has become both friend and family to many at Quiksilver over the years and it is with a heavy heart that he states, “There is little I can say that would give the credit due or cover the debt of gratitude I feel on a personal and professional level to Quiksilver.” Slater continued, “As a brand and on a human level, they have been a part of my life, career, and personal relationships for more than 23 years now, well over half my life. They’ve supported me through good times and bad, personal hardships and competitive triumphs, and never wavered in backing my choices and desires in all that time.”
Slater’s legacy at Quiksilver includes not only decades of competition success, but also a deep history of product collaborations that has left its mark on the surf industry. Even as we get ready to say goodbye, Slater’s influence will be seen in Quiksilver’s upcoming partnership with REPREVE Fabrics® and the brand’s commitment to working with recycled materials.
Quiksilver is proud of the history it has created with Slater and looks forward to watching him as he embarks on his new business endeavors in this next chapter of his life.
