Deion Sanders caused a stir in the football world after announcing his candidacy for the head coach position at the Colorado Buffaloes. The Buffaloes made a good start to the season, but faced difficulties later, suffering consecutive losses and failing to secure a postseason berth. Despite this, Sanders’ early success with an underperforming team has drawn significant attention, leading to lucrative deals like the one with popular eyewear brand, Blenders.
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Sanders dropped an iconic range of sunglasses, Millenia X2, partnering with Blenders Eyewear earlier this year. On Tuesday, Sanders used an Instagram story to promote the eyewear range, encouraging his fans to purchase it. In the story, he shared an image of Prime 21 – Black sunglasses with an attached link to the website.
Sanders’ influence worked wonders for the sales of Coach Prime-inspired sunglasses, and the customers who’ve already made the purchase are delighted with their choice. The reviews are brimming with positive comments, showcasing satisfaction and approval from those who bought them.
The sunglasses, which became immensely popular among the masses, are still available on the official Blenders website, priced at $79 each. The Prime 21 sunglasses are available in two colors — Black and Gold, drawing inspiration from CU’s jersey. This brand also serves as the preferred eyewear partner of CU Athletics.
Deion Sanders’ Genius Marketing Move Amidst Criticism
Deion Sanders turned his criticism into a grand marketing move and brought fortune to the popular eyewear brand right after announcing the collaboration. Right before the long-time rivals, the Colorado Buffaloes and the Colorado State Rams faced each other in Week 3, HC Jay Norvell took a jab at Sanders and cited that the latter has a bad habit of wearing glasses and a hat while talking to the press. He said,
“When I talk to grown-ups, I take my hat and my glasses off. That’s what my mother taught me.”
Following the criticism, Sanders presented the Prime 21s sunglasses to all his players and some ESPN commentators, which at the time, weren’t released to the public. This move wasn’t just a reply to Norvell but also to appreciate his players, who had already doubled the win count of the program from last season. However, it still worked as a marketing strategy for the brand.
The Buffaloes went on to defeat CSU by 43-35, leading to a surge in sales of the cool Blenders eyewear. On3 reported that Blenders’ eyewear earned $1.2 million in revenue in a single day by selling Prime 21s, which had a price tag of $67 at the time.
It might have been an ordinary season for Coach Prime, as Colorado finished last in the Pac-12 conference with an overall record of 4-8. Yet, his marketing strategies showcased not only his talent as a football player but also his brilliance as a marketing genius.
