Exspect partners with Joystick Junkies

Exspect, a leading technology accessories company, represented locally by Phoenix Software, has announced a strategic partnership with British fashion label Joystick Junkies. The iconic Joystick Junkies designs - a fun filled testament to video games and digital culture - will be incorporated into a new range of Exspect gaming products, unveiled at E3 later this year.

The licence agreement opens exciting opportunities for both Exspect and Joystick Junkies, allowing both brands to reach new audiences in 2010. Through the partnership, Exspect will be able to tap into the strong Joystick Junkies identity that has captured the imagination of the gaming and fashion market worldwide. In turn, Joystick Junkies will benefit from Exspect's formidable distribution channel, taking pride of place in gaming and music retailers across the country.

“With its strong, recognisable designs and established reputation among gamers, Joystick Junkies is the perfect partner for us to collaborate with,” says William Slater - VGA Product Manager, Exspect. “Alongside the quality of products gamers expect from us, they are sure to love the nod to retro fashion that our new range will highlight.”

“In the ten years since the launch of Joystick Junkies, the brand continues to grow globally, reaching an intelligent and fashion conscious customer,” adds Chris Birch, Joystick Junkies Creative Director. “With a huge catalogue of graphic designs, Exspect has developed a strong commercial range of accessories that will complement our fashion collection and fuel brand awareness further still.”

The initial range is planned to include headphones, iPod and iPhone covers and handheld console covers and will also be launched alongside Joystick Junkies' collections at major fashion trade shows.

The Joystick Junkies licence agreement is the first of a number of strategic partnerships Exspect is looking to announce in 2010. The company, which has seen aggressive expansion in the past two years, now plans to establish further licence agreements to increase market share in the coming months.

“The past year saw some exciting deals for Exspect, including the launch of our official licensed PSP accessories, and we will be building upon those achievements throughout 2010,” says Mike Sanderson, Head of Development, Exspect. “With a number of exciting projects in the pipeline, we are confident we will grow our customer base even further.”

The range of fashion accessories, as well as Joystick Junkies' signature clothing designs, will be available in South Africa through Phoenix Software. “Local gamers and fashion fundis will now have access to this distinctive, funky, fun range of clothing, and we believe that it will be as popular here as it is in Europe,” says Simon Campbell-Young, CEO of Phoenix Software.

The Joystick Junkies collection consists of bright soft t-shirts, which complement the world-famous graphics and mythic vintage designs. The designs are and inspired by and recreated from some of the best videogames pop culture myth surrounding the early 1980s.