The San Francisco 49ers and Avery Dennison have announced an exclusive partnership that will provide new fan engagement avenues via digitally connected clothing technology.

As part of this, Avery Dennison has become the official embellishment partner of the 49ers and will introduce digital connectivity into select 49ers Fanatics merchandise in the form of smart embellishments and digital labels.

This deal also marks the first major foray into American football for Embelex, Avery Dennison’s solution for on-garment branding.

Avery Dennison’s smart embellishments and digital labelling technology can be scanned using a smartphone camera, giving access to exclusive content unavailable anywhere else online.

This merchandise will be exclusive to the 49ers Team Store presented by Visa at Levi’s Stadium.

We’re rockin with Nate because Nate is rockin with us.

Good luck at #UFC279 @NateDiaz209! pic.twitter.com/MGYmikFPfk
— San Francisco 49ers (@49ers) September 10, 2022

“No matter where you travel, there’s always a good chance you will see someone wearing 49ers merchandise,” says 49ers VP of Corporate Partnerships, Kevin Hilton.

“Avery Dennison will strengthen our already powerful retail business by opening a new world of possibility through technology. We look forward to collaborating on ideas that can serve as a blueprint for global sports franchises seeking ways to interact with their fans in this digital age.”

On 23rd October, the 49ers will host the Kansas City Chiefs for a Super Bowl LIV rematch at Levi’s Stadium.

In celebration on the team’s annual alumni weekend, the 49ers will honour newly inducted Pro Football Hall of Famer and 49ers player Bryant Young at halftime.

Avery Dennison will be digitally enabling a special edition garment that provides exclusive opportunities to those who purchase.

“It’s fantastic to see the 49ers surprising and inspiring the Faithful with this cutting-edge clothing technology,” says Michael Barton, Senior Vice President and General Manager, Apparel Solutions, RBIS, Avery Dennison.

“Digitally connected team wear is a fantastic way to engage with fans, giving them dynamic ways to learn, share on social media, and interact with the teams they love. A new era of digital fan engagement is emerging, and sports wear provides the perfect gateway to build ongoing dialogue with fans beyond the stadium.”

“We’ve been supplying Embelex to some of the biggest names in sports for over 20 years, including the English Premier League and Major League Soccer. From national teams, to major tournaments, to fan wear, we are highly tuned to the sports sector, supporting both big franchises and grassroots communities.”

A second line of digitally connected merchandise will be released later this season. Avery Dennison will also open an Embelex personalisation station inside the 49ers Team Store in 2023.

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