‘Be First’ with Everlast Worldwide’s New Global Ad Campaign
Everlast launches new global campaign challenging you to carve your own path to success, featuring heavyweight champion of the world Deontay Wilder, 12-year-old Phenom Jesselyn Silva and more.
New York, NY – September 25, 2018: Be a trail blazer. Be a groundbreaker. Be a leader. Be First.
That’s the message in Everlast’s new global Be First ad campaign featuring some of today’s best athletes in sports and fitness who have traded in ordinary, expected, and normal for daring, different and unique.
Be First, a well-known boxing term, is associated with dictating the pace of a fight by making your opponent follow your lead. In Everlast’s new ad campaign, Be First means dictating the pace of your life, your goals, and your journey. Featuring some of today’s most talented athletes including heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder, UFC’s Dustin Poirier, undefeated pro boxer Mikaela Mayer and 12-year-old up and coming boxer Jesselyn Silva, the Be First message isn’t just regulated to the ring. Whether fighting to be the heavyweight champ of the world or fighting to be the first person in your family to go to college, Be First is a movement, a feeling, a way of life.
“We wanted people to know they have the power to do things their own way, to not be afraid of doing something differently,” says Chris Zoller, Vice President of Marketing and Product Development for Everlast. “Every human is capable of doing something great, and Be First’s purpose is to motivate us all to act on what feels right. It is no small feat to be the first to do something whether in your friend circle, in your family, in a sport, or in the world. Being first takes strength, dedication, authenticity and individuality, the same principles our company, Everlast, lives by.”
The cast featured in this campaign embody the Be First spirit and are continuing to pursue their goals in the only way they know how, in their own unique way.
Deontay Wilder: The bronze bomber, standing 6 foot 7 inches and weighing over 200lbs, didn’t follow the traditional path of an Alabama athlete. He left a promising football career behind to become a professional boxer, training for the first time at the age of 21. Wilder was called “unorthodox” and “too wild a puncher” by his critics but less than 10 years later, Deontay became a bronze medal winner and then a heavyweight champion of the world. He lives by one rule above all others, to follow the rules he sets for himself. To Deontay, “Be firstmeans jab. Be first means knockout. Be first means victory. Be first means Deontay Wilder, the heavyweight champion of the world!”
Jesselyn Silva: A thirteen year old monster, Jesselyn, known by her fans as Jesszilla, redefines what it means to “punch like a girl.” Already recognized by elite fighters as one to watch, Silva constantly finds herself in the ring opposite male counterparts and is not letting anyone stand in the way of her goals for 2024 Olympic Gold. “I don’t worry what other people say. If people are going to make fun of me, it’s just going to motivate me to do better. I just keep pushing to reach my goals and don’t let anyone tell me that I can’t.”
Mikaela Mayer: Seven fights in her first year as a pro, all victories, Mikaela Mayer was the first female boxer signed by Everlast. Mikaela’s dream of becoming an Olympic gold medal boxer wasn’t even an option when she began her training because women were not allowed to compete in boxing at the Olympics until 2012. So for Mikeala, “Being first means more to me than just my accomplishments. Every time I step into the ring, I feel in that moment, that I represent all women in the sport and that I have a duty to show the world what we are capable of. I have to win. I have to Be First.”
Dustin Poirier: A warrior in the cage, Dustin shows true heart every fight, giving all he’s got. He will be fighting Nate Diaz at MSG this November. He leads by example by using his platform to raise funds for causes he truly believes in. Dustin has auctioned off fight kits resulting in 500 school children receiving new backpacks filled with school supplies, created a fund for the family of fallen Lafayette Police Cpl. Michael Middlebrook, and founded the nonprofit, The Good Fight. “It means a lot to me to be part of this campaign because I want to motivate people to do something great, to give their all. Be First means something different to everyone. For me it means be the best I can be.”
Liz Marie Chestang: Liz, a dancer, actress, on-air talent, and fitness professional, had big dreams growing up in Cleveland, Ohio. She packed up, bet on herself and moved to New York City. Since her leap of faith she has performed domestically and abroad as a Brooklyn Nets Dancer, with high profile acts like Kanye West and Beyonce and now represents the everyday women forging their own path in Everlast’s Be First campaign. “Being first to me is to move with passion, knowing that passion is purpose. To love yourself and the unique journey you are on, and to celebrate your losses just as much as your victories.”
The preeminent brand in boxing since 1910, Everlast is the world’s leading manufacturer, marketer and licensor of boxing, MMA and fitness equipment. From legendary champions Jack Dempsey and Sugar Ray Robinson to current superstars Dustin Poirier and Deontay Wilder, Everlast is the brand of choice for generations of world champion professional athletes. Built on a brand heritage of strength, dedication, individuality and authenticity, Everlast is a necessary part of the lives of countless champions. Based in Manhattan, Everlast’s products are sold across more than 75 countries and 6 continents. For more information, visit www.everlast.com.
Founder/editor Michael Woods got addicted to boxing in 1990, when Buster Douglas shocked the world with his demolition of the then-impregnable Mike Tyson.
The Brooklyn-based journalist has covered the sport since for ESPN The Magazine, ESPN.com, Bad Left Hook and RING. His journalism career started with NY Newsday in 1999.
Michael Woods is also an accomplished blow by blow and color man, having done work for Top Rank, DiBella Entertainment, EPIX, and for Facebook Fightnight Live, since 2017.
