Reebok and Hip-Hop Violinist Miri Ben-Ari Make Beautiful Music Together with First-of-its Kind Partnership

Reebok and Hip-Hop Violinist Miri Ben-Ari Make Beautiful Music Together with First-of-its Kind Partnership

Grammy Award Winning Musician, Producer, and Composer becomes the Newest Member of the Rbk Family

CANTON, Mass., Aug. 24 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- World renowned Hip-Hop violinist Miri Ben-Ari and Reebok make noise today with the announcement of a multi-faceted partnership that includes a first-of-its-kind collaboration between the brand and Universal Motown Universal Records to produce a music video for "We Gonna Win," the first new single on Ben-Ari's debut album. Marking Reebok's first foray into overseeing the creation of a music video, the partnership will highlight Israeli superstar, Ben-Ari as the newest face of the brand's global "I Am What I Am" advertising campaign, featuring print, online and retail components.

An iconic name in the Hip-Hop community, Ben Ari will launch her highly anticipated new video in September 2005 on major music networks, including Fuse, MTV and BET and online at http://www.rbk.com/. Directed by Paul Schneider, the unique video will feature Ben-Ari and rap artist Styles P. wearing customized Rbk branded apparel, footwear and accessories.

"Partnering with Reebok is a natural fit for me because they truly value artists who are not afraid to be different and stand out from the crowd," said Ben-Ari. "I am excited to work with Reebok on my new music video and thrilled to be part of their 'I Am What I Am' campaign."

As the latest celebrity endorsee to be featured in Reebok's "I Am What I Am" global advertising campaign, Ben-Ari will join contemporary heroes of today's global youth including Allen Iverson, Jay-Z, Yao Ming, Nelly, Curt Schilling, 50 Cent, Nicole Vaidisova, Donovan McNabb, Christina Ricci, Stevie Williams, and many more. Created by New York advertising agency mcgarrybowen, the campaign links the entire brand's marketing and advertising efforts under the "I Am What I Am" umbrella, and is supported by the company's largest advertising spend in nearly a decade.

"Reebok is excited to partner with Miri because she is such a creative force in the evolution of Hip-Hop," said Dennis Baldwin, Reebok's chief marketing officer. "As a true pioneer in the music world, Miri perfectly embodies our brand's 'I Am What I Am' platform of authenticity and individuality."

Ben-Ari grew up in a small town near Tel-Aviv, Israel, and began her classical music education at a very young age. Coming from humble roots, Ben- Ari's violin lessons became too expensive for her family. Fortunately, legendary violinist Isaac Stern recommended Ben-Ari for a scholarship from the America-Israel Cultural Foundation that gave the young prodigy her most treasured possession -- her first violin.

After establishing herself as an accomplished and respected jazz musician, Ben-Ari's interest evolved to R&B and Hip-Hop. Her love for the music led her to develop an original style of playing that blends Hip-Hop, urban and classical music. Ben-Ari has written, performed and produced for Kanye West, Alicia Keys, Jay-Z, Patti LaBelle, Mya, Britney Spears, Thalia, Joe, Wyclef Jean, 3LW, Dallas Austin, Rahzal, Allure, The X-ecutioners, Twista, Brandy, Janet Jackson and Jennifer Lopez among others.

Lately, Ben-Ari has been hard at work in the studio creating her debut Hip Hop/R&B album, a groundbreaking fusion of her crisp, soulful strings with hard-edged hip-hop production, slotted as a major release by Universal Records for the fall 2005. Kanye West has lent production and rhyming work to several tracks on her album, which also features collaborations with an all-star cast of artists, including Akon, John Legend, Twista, Scarface, Fabolous, Lil' Mo, Mya, Baby, Lil' Wayne, Pharoahe Monch and Anthony Hamilton.

Reebok International Ltd. (NYSE:RBK), headquartered in Canton, MA, is a leading worldwide designer, marketer and distributor of sports, fitness and casual footwear, apparel and equipment under the Reebok, Rockport, CCM, Jofa, Koho and Greg Norman brands. Sales for 2004 totaled approximately $3.8 billion. Reebok can be accessed at http://www.reebok.com/.

Contact:
Reebok Public Relations -
Diane Pelkey (781) 401-7790
Jenny Shanley (781) 401-4548

Laforce+Stevens -
Aja Bradley (212) 242-9353

Source: Reebok International Ltd.

CONTACT: Diane Pelkey, +1-781-401-7790, or Jenny Shanley,
+1-781-401-4548, both of Reebok Public Relations; or Aja Bradley of
Laforce+Stevens, +1-212-242-9353

Web site: http://www.reebok.com/

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