High Visibility features companies, products and collections that are raising brand awareness through strategic partnerships, sponsorships, consumer advertising campaigns and tie-ins to prominent events, etc. To be considered for inclusion please contact senior editors, Deirdre Carroll or John Sailer.

Now that the temperatures are rising, thoughts are turning to beach towels and bathing suits. In the latest edition of Hi Vis we’re featuring three brands who are already hitting the water with high profile sponsorships…

Rudy Project North America has signed a four-year agreement with USRowing to become their official eyewear, prescription eyewear and helmet sponsor. As part of the sponsorship, Rudy Project will provide eyewear to the U.S. National Team and benefits to the USRowing membership, with proceeds benefitting the U.S. National Team. The U.S. men’s four, which won a bronze medal at the 2012 Olympic Games in London all wore Rudy Project's Ryzer Yellow Fluo Frame with Multilaser Blue Lenses. “Rudy Project and USRowing have partnered for the past two years and are excited to extend that relationship through 2016 with a goal of providing important resources to the national team as they strive to meet their goals in Rio,” said Beth Kohl, USRowing’s chief marketing officer. "I am excited that we can now bring the world's best optics to national team rowers and the rowing community with Rudy Project and XX2i Optics," added Paul Craig, president and co-founder of Rudy Project North America. Additionally, Rudy Project will offer benefits to USRowing members through the USRowing online member portal for all Rudy Project products. Proceeds from product sales will benefit USRowing national teams. For more information and to join, click here.


Zeal Optics has announced that they are the official eyewear sponsor of the 2013 King of Wake tour, the world’s elite wakeboarding series. Partnering with the tour aligns Zeal alongside the top wakeboarding athletes in the world, including Zeal’s very own Brian Grubb. “We are so stoked to be a part of the King of Wake series,” said Joe Prebich, Zeal’s director of marketing. “We love the vibe of each stop, the TV production is amazing and we will be working with the best athletes in the world.” Zeal will be present at each of the eight King of Wake tour stops with the Zeal EXPLORER Trailer, which contains the full line of lifestyle, active and performance sunglasses by Zeal. The “Chase for the Crown” starts at the end of this month Orlando and the entire series will be featured nationally on NBC Sports. For more information and a calendar of events, click here.


For the third year in a row, Kenny Chesney and Costa have introduced new Chesney-inspired limited edition sunglass styles in time for the country musician’s “No Shoes Nation Tour,” which kicked off in Tampa, Fla. on March 16. Chesney played a large role in the design of several of this year’s five new sunglass styles; all of which feature Chesney’s signature on the inside of the temple and the rugged performance standards of all Costa styles. “I took my time working on the design of these glasses, because more than just looking good, I wanted to know they’d work at the beach, on a boat or on the road,” said Chesney. “For something to have my name on it, I want to make sure it delivers. So I tried to make sure this year’s glasses are even better than the year before.” Five dollars from the sale of each pair of Kenny Chesney Costa sunglasses will be donated to the Coastal Conservation Association (CCA), an advocacy organization dedicated to ocean and coastal conservation programs. Since 2010, more than $80,000 has been donated to CCA as a result of the partnership. “There’s a synergy in our partnership with Kenny and CCA now that we’re three years into the program,” said Al Perkinson, vice president of marketing for Costa. “We’re starting to see real results from our efforts and we’re looking forward to accomplishing even more in the name of ocean conservation in 2013.”

(L to R) Pat Murray, president of the Coastal Conservation Association; Kenny Chesney; Amanda Perryman, marketing manager for Costa Sunglasses and Brett Palmer, president of AbiJack Management, who manages the partnership.