| |
The M & M Boys assault on Babe Ruth's
1927 single-season home run record in
1961, sparked a marketing frenzy the
following year. Beginning in April of
1962, retail outlets across the country
offered Mickey Mantle and Roger Maris
merchandise which included; sweaters,
robes, underwear, pajamas, hosiery,
beach and play clothing, dress shirts,
sport shirts, sweat shirts, sneakers,
dress and play shoes, all bearing an
emblem showing two players swinging at
an oversized baseball inscribed with:
“Mantle - Maris Wear.”
Mantle and Maris received $40.000 each from the
parent merchandising firm, predicting
sales would gross at least $25,000,000
in the first year. Mantle and Maris
would receive royalties at the rate of
1.25 per cent each, their return would
amount to $312,500 apiece. The contract
binding them to this lode of potential
wealth was
for one year.
In 1962 Norwich sold
Mickey Mantle & Roger Maris T-Shirts
with silkscreened artwork depicting
images of both Mantle & Maris in a
batting stance, head shots, and
accompanied by their facsimile
signatures. Sweat shirts were also
available. That same year they produced
"Mantle-Maris Wear" Boys Briefs', and
crew socks.
The socks came with a free 7 inch
by 9 inch premium photo which was
inserted into each package of Official
Maris-Mantle Crew Socks. The black &
White photograph with two rounded
corners at the top, of Roger Maris and
Mickey Mantle was taken by renown
photographer Louis Requena. It has two
rounded edges at the top, and features
Roger Maris and Mickey Mantle facsimile
signatures.
|
|
