Ayrtek Launches New Brand And Premier Helmet At Cricket Resource Show

Ayrtek has launched its new brand and Premier helmet to the trade at Lord’s this week. Cited as the ‘next generation cricket helmet’, the Premier range incorporates all of the safety and comfort attributes of the Ayrtek Elite, but at a price positioned at the Club player.

Ayrtek was conceived in 2007 by Bristol-based engineering student Tom Milsom, who identified an opportunity to innovate in a product category that had stagnated. A keen cricketer, he witnessed several high profile players receiving serious facial and head injuries caused by ill-fitting helmets, sub-standard materials and cricket balls penetrating the gap between the peak and the grille. Subsequently, he designed a revolutionary helmet using state-of-the-art materials and design that substantially reduced player injury.

Ayrtek was acquired by a consortium lead by West country entrepreneur Jim Grant in the summer of 2010, and an opportunity to create a game-changing product, accessible to the Club player was created.

“Ayrtek had created an outstanding embryonic reputation amongst a handful of professional clubs and players” said CEO Jim Grant. “We needed to create a brand that appealed to not only the pro, but the mass-market Club player too.”

James Read, Sales Director adds: “After studying the other brands in the category, it was clear that we needed to position the Ayrtek range at the premium end of the market. We created a powerful brand proposition: Inner strength and a dynamic identity system that communicates the brand’s attributes of technology, performance and safety.”

Jim Grant CEO Ayrtek concluded: “Our brief was demanding; a complete new branding and marketing exercise that needed to shout quality and make a serious impact in the world of cricket. All to be delivered in a product launch in a very short time frame. The brief was fulfilled to the letter and the result was a superb new product launch backed up with strong brand credentials that made the competition look up and take notice.”

Ayrtek has recruited a number of online and retail distributors and is carrying our a nationwide marketing campaign during 2012 to launch the Premier range to the UK.