09.11.2021

Bayern Munich X Rebond: a unique and eco-responsible official gift

High-end second life for defective jerseys

The world's most popular sport, a source of emotion and a bearer of powerful messages, football is a mirror of our society. As ambassadors for large international communities, major football clubs are constantly striving to improve their performance, but also to set an example for others to follow.

Bayern Munich, one of Europe's key players, was inspired by recent projects by the brand Rebond to come up with an idea that was aesthetically pleasing, unique and ecologically responsible - to make the ceremonial gifts for Champions League home games in the form of exclusive, high-end balls, while giving a second life to defective shirts.

Bayern Munich's ceremonial gift

FC Dynamo Kyiv had the honour of being the first club to receive this exceptional gift.

Upcycling at the highest level

Although this kind of public relations operation is not highly publicised, the Bavarian club is taking another step towards a cleaner world. This ceremonial gift is customary in the Champions League: when the team hosts its opponent, a prestigious souvenir is given to the latter.

For each Bayern Munich home match in the UEFA Champions League, Rebond produces two ceremonial gifts that are given away at these memorable football events on the old continent. Each product mixes the key fragments of the shirts of the two clubs that are to face each other. The date of the match is embroidered with gold thread on one of the panels of the ball. This 100% bespoke gift celebrates the two rivals on the pitch while highlighting their Champions League journey.

"In April, we launched, with Paris Saint-Germain, the first balloons made from the recovery of old club shirts, defective shirts or those that cannot be sold. Within Rebond, we set up a French production line and these were the first balls to come out of our French workshop!Following this project, we had several contacts with European clubs, including Bayern Munich. One thing led to another and we came up with a new idea for the ball! This time it was a question of imagining an original official gift to offer to the team opposite. So we make two balls that mix the shirts of two teams participating in each home game: Bayern X Dynamo Kyiv, Bayern X Benfica, Bayern X Barcelona ... ", - Simon Mutschler, founder of the brand Rebond.

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A patchwork quilt full of meaning

To make this ceremonial present, Rebond collects the shirts, cuts them out to produce 32 pentagonal and hexagonal panels bearing the symbols of two opposing clubs, stacks them up, then assembles them randomly to obtain an aesthetic patchwork... until it becomes a whole ball! One of these panels recalls, thanks to a golden engraving, the date of the match, as well as the names of the opposing clubs.

"It's a whole design process, it's a craftsmanship par excellence. We are the ones who produce in France and who put the pieces of the jersey together from A to Z: no two balls are the same. - Simon Mutschler.

Rebond's employees pay attention to every detail.

Rebond's staff are detail-oriented and demanding as to the quality of their work. Each balloon takes 2.5 to 3 hours of meticulous work to produce.

Based in Loire-Atlantique, the Rebond brand is proud to offer its customers unique balls, hand-sewn by its experienced seamstresses and 100% French-made. All these ingredients make them exceptional products, top-of-the-range pieces, which can worthily adorn the trophy rooms or museums of the clubs playing at the highest level of the European elite, while recalling the dates of the meetings with the Bavarian club.

A look in the same direction

The Bavarian club is one of the most dynamic entities in the world of football.

When it comes to creativity, Bayern Munich is at the forefront! The club is one of the forerunners in the field of digital innovations, and has organised an international hackathon, developed a virtual tour of the Allianz Arena using augmented reality, and is always keen to offer its fans a unique experience.

In terms of eco-responsibility, Bayern was one of the first clubs to affirm its willingness to take action in this direction. Thanks to its equipment supplier, the club was able to have its players wear warm-up suits and third shirts made from plastic recovered from the oceans.

In 2020, Bayern has already been upcycling, making masks from club scarves. The production of these masks was entrusted to a Bavarian supplier. The proceeds from the sale were donated to organisations involved in the fight against the coronavirus.

It is not surprising that the connection with Rebond was made: the two companies share common values.

Rebond, a locomotive of eco-responsibility and avant-gardism

Although it is a young brand, Rebond has the means to innovate and seek new R&D solutions for its customers.

Balloons hand-sewn in the French workshop of the Rebond brand

With an eye on the future, Rebond develops products that are out of the ordinary! Each of its projects has a natural resonance without being widely promoted. Through its creations, Rebond celebrates art and tries to bring its answer to societal and environmental issues.