MLB, Strauss Multi-Year Deal As Official Partner Includes Batting Helmet Logos

By Barry Janoff

September 13, 2024: With the stated goal of introducing its brand to and building awareness in the U.S., Germany-based Strauss apparel and footwear company has signed a multi-platform alliance to become the “official workwear partner of MLB.”

The multi-year deal with Strauss includes helmet logo placement scheduled to begin during the 2024 MLB post-season and regular season games in Europe; Minor League Baseball marketing rights including MiLB batting helmets all season beginning in 2025; and a customized year-long content platform across MLB media assets.

The new partnership also gives Strauss marketing rights with MLB across Canada, Mexico and Europe.

Financial terms of the alliance were not released.

“We are proud that Strauss selected Major League Baseball and Minor League Baseball as the marketing platform to introduce its brand to the U.S. market,” Noah Garden, MLB deputy commissioner, business and media, said via the league.

“The fact that our two organizations have so much in common — generational legacy, teamwork, dedication to a craft, celebrating a job well done — is a key to what made this partnership so compelling and we’re looking forward to working together for years to come.”

The MLB partnership marks Strauss’ first league-wide deal in the U.S.

Strauss, founded in 1948, entered the U.S. market in October 2023, opening a retail store in Venice, Calif.

Strauss said brand awareness in America would be “the cornerstone of its marketing efforts.”

Marketing comes with the tag: “Get the job done. Gear Up. Go yard.”

“Whether on the field or in the field, your gear is a source of pride. We know that fans of America’s pastime are loyal, dedicated, and value a job well done — just like the Strauss fans around the world who love our family’s iconic ostrich logo,” Strauss CEO Henning Strauss said via the company.

Photo: MLB“We are proud to be the first brand featured on MLB batting helmets in the U.S. We are excited to join the baseball tradition and help the American pastime grow back home in Europe.”

Strauss also has deals that include MLS club LAFC, Liverpool FC, the Mexican National Soccer Team and the Stuntmen’s Association in Hollywood.

The company’s European division works with the NFL and Kansas City Chiefs.

In 2019, Strauss was a sponsor of heavy metal band Metallica’s European concerts for its “WorldWired Tour.”

Although of the same German heritage and with the same name, the company founded by Engelbert Strauss is not related to or affiliated with Levi Strauss and Co.

Henning Strauss told Sourcing Journal in October 2023 when the company was opening its first U.S. store that “Engelbert Strauss has a legally binding agreement with Levi Strauss related to the use of the name ‘Strauss’ on garments. That agreement, signed in 2019, encompasses Engelbert Strauss’ business globally and in perpetuity.”

Strauss said the two businesses “continue to operate separately and without conflict.”

MLB said the post-season helmet ads would be 5 inches x 0.92 inches on each side of every helmet featuring “Strauss” in capital letters in white along with the company’s ostrich logo, silhouetted by a red square, with an alternate color for red helmets.

“The fact that our two organizations have so much in common . . . is a key to what made this partnership so compelling."

In addition to the MLB platform, Strauss will also advertise across MiLB’s 120 teams, beginning in 2025.

The batting helmets worn during MiLB games between 2025-27 will feature the Strauss logo.

The brand will be promoted across MLB and MiLB digital media platforms.

To launch the partnership, MLB has created a digital content platform focused on stolen bases, to be presented by Strauss.

The platform includes stolen base highlights on MLB Network, MLB.com and MLB social media channels “where Strauss can celebrate the preparation, strategic thinking and decisive action necessary to support your team in a job well done.”

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