Joystick Junkies/Atari deal

Atari, the major international producer, publisher and distributor of interactive games, has chosen British streetwear label Joystick Junkies as a fashion partner. The company has been licensed by Atari’s newly appointed UK agent Rocket Licensing to create street fashion for the UK market based on the classic Atari brand.

Joystick Junkies showcased initial Atari designs at Europe’s biggest streetwear fashion show, Bread & Butter, in July. Major retail partners have already expressed strong support for initial designs which will launch across Joystick Junkies’ four London-based concessions from September, as well as the company’s website and key retail accounts. The company will follow up with nationwide releases to coincide with the Christmas ’08 Injection and Spring-Summer ’09 collections.

Joystick Junkies is well known for its creative use of video games icons for its collections - and Atari is, of course, one of the greatest names in the video games field. Launched in 1972, Atari pioneered some of the world’s most famous arcade games, video game consoles and home computers. Titles like Pong, Missile Command, Breakout, Asteroids and Centipede first appeared through the 70s and 80s and, along with the Atari 2600 console, have become icons of video game pop culture.

Now icons and images from Atari games that began the video gaming revolution and the world-famous Atari 1972 Mount Fuji trademark are being licensed worldwide for the first time – and style leaders like Joystick Junkies will be playing a prominent role in the licensing programme.

“Atari and Rocket chose Joystick Junkies as a fashion partner because we felt they had a true understanding and passion for the Atari brand as well as a strong position in the UK fashion market,” comments Rob Wijeratna, Joint Managing Director of Rocket Licensing.

Charlotte Hargreaves, Senior Vice President, Brand and Licensing, of Atari, adds: “Atari’s strategy to extend the brand internationally is strongly creative and design led. That is why we are delighted to be partnering with Joystick Junkies in the UK. Their design flair and our iconic images are a great fit.”

Joystick Junkies’ Creative Director Chris Birch believes the Atari brand will hit a sweet spot with the street fashion market. “Atari is one of the most recognised brands in the world,” he says. “Most people have an Atari story, whether they fell in love with the Atari 2600 console like me or were in the rave scene in the 90s when DJs and artists wrote their dance floor anthems on the Atari ST. It spans so many generations of Atari love and gives us a massive catalogue of inspirational art for our new collections.”

For further information please contact Spin Publicity, amber@spin-publicity.co.uk, +44 (0) 207 253 5083 or for general enquiries Chris Birch, chris@joystickjunkies.com, +44 (0) 207 724 9243

About Joystick Junkies

Joystick Junkies is a fast-growing British fashion label that has successfully fused video games pop culture with street fashion. Now available in over 200 European stores ranging from the hottest boutiques to flagship stores of major high street retailers, the brand is aimed at modern adventurers who want bold colours and graphics without compromising on comfort and style.