Ugg Goes to the Super Bowl

This weekend’s Super Bowl showdown between the New York Giants and the New England Patriots promises to be a physically brutal game for the men involved. Luckily, however, thanks to the folks from Deckers Corporation in Goleta, the players’ feet will be on the receiving end of some much-needed pampering both pre- and post-game. Part of a larger marketing effort during the Super Bowl festivities, Deckers delivered a pair of cozy, casual, and toe-loving Ugg boots late last week to each and every Patriot and Giant as they readied for this Sunday’s showdown in Indianapolis.

Ugg boots (now owned by Deckers) first became popular in the 1980s as a foot-friendly, post-surf shoe born in Australia. The soft, fuzzy inside coupled with a durable yet soft sheepskin outside was an instant hit with surfers and their feet. As the years have gone by, the Ugg, which now comes in a prolific array of shapes and sizes and designs, has become more popular with fashion-conscious females than gnarled-toed waveriders. While this evolution has equaled massive growth and profit for the Deckers in recent years, it is one that, according to CEO Angel Martinez, the company has designs on changing, and this year’s Super Bowl is just one step in that process. “We wanted to give men permission to wear Ugg again,” explained Martinez in an interview late last year. “And who better to do that than Super Bowl Champion and MVP quarterback Tom Brady.”

Of course Brady, who will be seeking his fourth Super Bowl ring this weekend, is the starting QB for the Patriots, a team that is seeking a unique sort of revenge against the Giants. (The G-Men ended Brady and the Patriot’s quest for a perfect season four years ago with an improbable last-minute win in Super Bowl XLII). The California native, who is married to supermodel Gisele Bundchen, has been the centerpiece for Ugg’s new campaign targeting men since the start of this year’s NFL season. His Ugg-wearing likeness has been on billboards in L.A., Boston, and New York, and he starred in Ugg’s (and Deckers’s) first TV commercial, which aired during the Pat’s season opener in Miami during Monday Night Football.

Besides gifting Ugg boots to players and coaches as part of the Super Bowl festivities, Deckers also plans to provide product to on-air ESPN personalities, guests of Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, as well as radio personalities broadcasting from outside the stadium. Ugg for Men is also sponsoring the NFL Honors Lounge, a VIP portion of this Friday night’s NFL awards ceremony honoring the plays and players from this past football season.