Swanndri and Speight's - Two Great Mates

Media release for immediate use
June 20 2007

Swanndri and Speight's - Two Great Mates

Two Kiwi brands are gearing up for the world's greatest beer delivery. The plan to ship a fully operational Speight's Ale House from Dunedin to London by boat caught the Swanndri team's imagination (as well as the rest of the nation) so it put together a range of clothing for the travellers.

Swanndri Chief Executive Julian Bowden says "It makes sense for the crew to wear our gear because it's proven in all weather, which is what the crew will encounter during their 70 days at sea.

"The trip includes stop-offs in Samoa, Panama, the Bahamas and New York, so we've outfitted the guys in shorts, tee-shirts and short-sleeved shirts for the warm days and woollen bush-shirts, thermals, wool-lined oilskins, waterproof pants and Muckboots for the days the weather turns nasty."

Crew member James Livingston says he's stoked to have Swanndri gear to wear. "It identifies us as Kiwis, the gear is tried and true and I won't even have to think about what to pack - Swanndri has thought of everything," he says.

Four more crew members will be named this week and will set sail from Dunedin on the 25th of July.

ENDS

Background
Swanndri is the oldest apparel brand in New Zealand and the new company continues to harness that heritage in future product development and marketing.

The Swanndri brand and range of clothing dates back to 1913 when it was first developed by Taranaki tailor William Broome. The shirt was given the name Swanndri because of the way the water ran off its back.

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