Future NBA Hall of Famer Kobe Bryant is getting into the body care game.
The Lakers legend has today announced the launch of a company called "Art of Sport," which specializes in body care products like deodorant, soap, body wash and sunscreen that are marketed to athletes.
According to Sports Illustrated's Ben Golliver, this is what Kobe had to say about the "Art Of Sport" mission: "We're speaking to the athlete through our communication and we're connecting to the spirit of the game. The important thing in building a brand for athletes is making sure the messaging and the story touches on the emotional components and the spirit associated with a great soccer match or basketball game. The product shouldn't only benefit you from a physical standpoint, there should be an emotional and inspirational benefit too."
Kobe teamed with LA-based entrepreneur Matthias Metternich and Brian Lee to launch Art Of Sport, a process that began over 18 months ago.
“The first [task] was to develop product that can help the athlete recharge. By that I mean rejuvenate the skin, energize the skin and the senses,” Metternich, the CEO of AOS, describes (H/T Slam). “The next mission was to try and develop products that could help athletes perform. The third was to create products that can protect the athlete. By protect, I don’t just mean environmental conditions that they might face, but also recovery from the grind, recovery from their sport.”
Athletes like Houston Rockets' All-Star James Harden, Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster and Chicago Cubs infielder Javy Baez are among the athletes promoting Bryant's body care products, which feature sports-centric names like “Compete,” “Rise” and “Challenge."