Zach LaVine.
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CHICAGO—Zenni Optical and the Chicago Bulls basketball team have announced a five-year partnership that will make Zenni Optical both the official eyewear partner of the Chicago Bulls and the Bull’s first ever jersey patch partner. Alongside marketing elements, this deal will include community initiatives, digital assets, and in-arena signage and activations. The deal began with the 2018-19 basketball season, which kicked off for the Bulls on Oct. 18, 2018. Throughout the season, Chicago Bulls players will wear jerseys with the Zenni logo sewn onto the left breast. All versions of the Chicago Bulls’ jersey will include this branding, and the Bulls have retained Excel Sports Management to assist with the sales process.

“The Chicago Bulls jersey is one of the most iconic in the NBA and is recognized across the globe, so it was important for us to be methodical and intentional in our search for a jersey patch partner,” said Michael Reinsdorf, Bulls president and COO. “This kind of partnership unites two brands in very substantial and visible ways, meaning that who we choose to partner with will represent so much of who we are as a team and signals to our fans what we stand for. In our search, we put a high priority on partnering with a company that shares many of the Bulls’ values. Once we started our conversations with Zenni’s co-founder Julia Zhen and everyone at the company, it was quickly evident to us that they also place great importance on community and family, and for those reasons and many more we are excited to officially welcome Zenni into our Bulls family.”

Julia Zhen, co-founder of Zenni Optical also spoke out about the new partnership. Zhen said, “The entire Zenni team couldn’t be more ecstatic to become the Chicago Bulls most visible partner. The Bulls brand is iconic and global and Zenni aspires to have that same domestic and international relevance someday. We know this will be a significant step to creating awareness that eyewear, especially prescription glasses, can be affordable, high quality and stylish at the same time.

“We’re excited about amplifying our brand in the Chicago market and beyond wherever the Bulls are being seen around the world. We already have one million existing customers in the Chicagoland area and look forward to engaging many more through our partnership. The opportunity to educate on the need for eye protection before correction will be a key initiative for us along with helping the greater Chicagoland community receive the eyewear they may need.”

Zenni Optical and the Chicago Bulls celebrated this new partnership on Oct. 16, 2018, with a launch event at the United Center, the Chicago arena that the Bulls call home. Over 100 of Zenni’s top Chicago area customers were invited to the event, which featured an exclusive meet and greet session with Bulls players and new Zenni Bulls ambassadors Zach LaVine, Lauri Markkanen, and Robin Lopez.