The Deion Sanders hype train is looking more and more like a marketing juggernaut.
Major TV networks and celebrities alike flocked to Boulder to get in on the CU craze, and the Buffs’ thrilling win in the Rocky Mountain Showdown was among the most-watched college football games in the history of ESPN.
Now, a sunglasses company is capitalizing on Sanders’ Midas Touch.
Blenders tells Denver7 its “Prime 21” sunglasses – Deion’s signature shade – has racked up more than $4 million in sales.
Shai Mahajan, a public relations representative for 5WPR, of which Blenders is a client, says the company has fielded orders for more than 65,000 pairs of the reflective shades.
The kicker? Prime 21 sunglasses, listed for $67 apiece, aren’t even available to the general public until Oct. 12 and may not ship until December.
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The boost in sales comes after CSU head football coach Jay Norvell seemingly criticized Sanders for wearing sunglasses during interviews and other media appearances.
“When I talk to grown-ups, I take my hat and my glasses off,” Norvell said in a radio interview in the week leading up to Saturday’s rivalry clash. “That’s what my mother taught me.”
Sanders said Norvell’s comments “made it personal” – but also leaned into the business opportunity with some good, old-fashioned guerilla marketing.
“They don’t realize they just helped me with business,” Sanders said as he gifted a pair of the Prime 21 shades to every Buffs player.
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He also gave a pair to ESPN’s “First Take” crew and to celebrities like Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson.
