OT: Uniqlo Selling Colnago and Bianchi T-Shirts

[deechee]

Originally Posted by johnniecakes

I like the shirts, the models posing in them are a different story. Nice to see iconic cycling brands getting their space the t shirt logo market. Are they available in the USA?

Yes, there is a US site. Unfortunately they don't bring a lot of t-shirt designs to North America. (ie. There are prints/designs in Japan that we think would easily sell here but aren't available - at least in Canada.)

The models/poses are fairly typical for the Japanese company that Uniqlo is.

[vqdriver]

Originally Posted by robertbb

This is not a joke, links below!

Congratulations, your $5,000 Italian frame is now found on a $15 tshirt at the Japanese equivalent of Target.

[Ozz]

Originally Posted by deechee

Yes, there is a US site. Unfortunately they don't bring a lot of t-shirt designs to North America. (ie. There are prints/designs in Japan that we think would easily sell here but aren't available - at least in Canada.)

The models/poses are fairly typical for the Japanese company that Uniqlo is.

They sponsor Roger Federer, and had a couple cool designs under his line....

[robertbb]

My post was an expression of frustration at there being very little that’s “sacred” or “special” anymore. Particularly given that Campy and Shimano have been primary competitors for decades, I just think it’s strange that iconic (and traditionally expensive) Italian frame brands have ended up on cheap t-shirts at a Japanese cheap and cheerful clothing store.

I’m not anti Uniqlo, Colnago, Bianchi... and I’m not knocking those who choose those brands. Personally if I ever sprung for an upmarket Italian frame I wouldn’t want a bunch of wacky millenials walking around with it on a tshirt.

I’m relieved there’s no Campy tshirt!

Anyway, carry on Didn’t mean to offend anyone

[Ozz]

Originally Posted by robertbb

My post was an expression of frustration at there being very little that’s “sacred” or “special” anymore. ...

yeah.....I don't think anything is sacred when someone wants to make $$$$....

I am surprised this has not shown up on a Target t-shirt:

[e-RICHIE]

Originally Posted by robertbb

My post was an expression of frustration at there being very little that’s “sacred” or “special” anymore. Particularly given that Campy and Shimano have been primary competitors for decades, I just think it’s strange that iconic (and traditionally expensive) Italian frame brands have ended up on cheap t-shirts at a Japanese cheap and cheerful clothing store.

I’m not anti Uniqlo, Colnago, Bianchi... and I’m not knocking those who choose those brands. Personally if I ever sprung for an upmarket Italian frame I wouldn’t want a bunch of wacky millenials walking around with it on a tshirt.

I’m relieved there’s no Campy tshirt!

Anyway, carry on Didn’t mean to offend anyone

Bianchi is a what - 120 year old brand by now, and Colnago maybe 60 years? I'd have to find the citation for accuracy. They didn't last that long by neglecting revenue streams away from the actual production of bicycles. Heck, Bianchi has been beyond commercial since the war years. They know what it takes to survive. Good for these two (and others) for enduring, and still making cool stuff for zealots.

[robertbb]

Yeah - non-cycling revenue streams have worked brilliantly for Italian cycling brands in the past I love those Campy wheels on my car... oh wait.

Anyway, brand image is everything for the Italian manufacturers now. They aren't selling on quality or engineering anymore. Fit and finish on the Colnago c64's has been rubbish. Colnago's best modern monocoque frame is made in Taiwan. They havn't had a real value proposition since the days of welded or lugged frames. There may be exceptions by way of the smaller boutique Italian brands, but the brands on these t-shirts have been flogging a dead horse for a while now so it's little wonder they'll let their brand out for some "revenue" (or exposure).

[Big Dan]

Campagnolo was selling shirts and caps before most of them.

[e-RICHIE]

Anyway, brand image is everything for the Italian manufacturers now. They aren't selling on quality or engineering anymore. Fit and finish on the Colnago c64's has been rubbish. Colnago's best modern monocoque frame is made in Taiwan. They havn't had a real value proposition since the days of welded or lugged frames. There may be exceptions by way of the smaller boutique Italian brands, but the brands on these t-shirts have been flogging a dead horse for a while now so it's little wonder they'll let their brand out for some "revenue" (or exposure).

I remember thinking the same about these two brands (and many more) in the early 1970s, assuming they were selling out, or the equivalent of this. It's not them. It's us. We have lenses that are too rose colored and too distorted to see the reality of the situation. I've come to admire the diversification process. No one likes to leave money on the table when there are salaries to pay, or investor loans, or even opportunities for future growth. These companies are smart. And they're still here.

[rallizes]

"They aren't selling on quality or engineering anymore. Fit and finish on the Colnago c64's has been rubbish."

anyone care to expand on this?

[Burnette]

There's not as much uniqueness between brands as there use to be. Most big brands share the same place of origin and hype and tube shapes are the only things you can use to tell a difference.

We're reaching a point to where bikes will be high tech and yet disposable like a smart phone. Loaded, electronic and able to do everything you could ever need just to be replace within a year by the new one.

And cashing in on image is as old as we as a people have been selling goods. You milk every ounce out of the product, even the name, it's smart business.

[pbarry]

Gonna get the nago shirt.

[pbarry]

Originally Posted by robertbb

Yeah - non-cycling revenue streams have worked brilliantly for Italian cycling brands in the past I love those Campy wheels on my car... oh wait.

Anyway, brand image is everything for the Italian manufacturers now. They aren't selling on quality or engineering anymore. Fit and finish on the Colnago c64's has been rubbish. Colnago's best modern monocoque frame is made in Taiwan. They havn't had a real value proposition since the days of welded or lugged frames. There may be exceptions by way of the smaller boutique Italian brands, but the brands on these t-shirts have been flogging a dead horse for a while now so it's little wonder they'll let their brand out for some "revenue" (or exposure).

If you owned a vintage Citroen or Maserati, that would be a thing.

[hokoman]

I think it's great marketing for a brand - revenue, exposure to people who probably think All-City (no offense) is a high end bike. Uniqlo did a collaboration with Kaws, and they did a final launch a week ago and the line at the mall was insane (I manage a mall)...

Uniqlo also did a release of Ray and Charles Eames shirts a year or two ago... It's free marketing. No big deal. It's not like they released a line of co-branded bikes with the companies, or a line of furniture with Herman Miller.

NBD.

[robertbb]

Originally Posted by e-RICHIE

I remember thinking the same about these two brands (and many more) in the early 1970s, assuming they were selling out, or the equivalent of this. It's not them. It's us. We have lenses that are too rose colored and too distorted to see the reality of the situation. I've come to admire the diversification process. No one likes to leave money on the table when there are salaries to pay, or investor loans, or even opportunities for future growth. These companies are smart. And they're still here.

Yep, on point.

As long as there are people out there willing to drop $5k on a frame comprised of tubes made in Asia, then glued together and painted in Italy, all power to them.

As always, the market decides.

Looking over at the thread here on coffee machines, plus on other forums and on discussion with "coffee snobs", there is an overwhelmingly big bias towards Italian brands. Whether that actually means better coffee is hugely debatable. I honestly reckon I've pulled better shots from my $700 Breville (Sage) dual boiler, than I've had from Italian units priced 10 times that much.