MANILA, Philippines — Barangay Ginebra San Miguel will use a new jersey for the PBA Commissioner’s Cup starting May 19, aligning with a promotion for fans to collect five designs of the limited edition “Never Say Die” kits on the occasion of the franchise’s 40th anniversary in the pro league.
Ginebra marketing manager Ron Molina said it’s the first time the “Never Say Die” slogan will be inscribed in words on a jersey. “The team will wear the new jersey only for the coming Commissioner’s Cup,” he said. “In the next conference, the Governors Cup, the team will revert to the standard jersey that was introduced in 2012. The Commissioner’s Cup is special because we’re the defending champion and we’re celebrating 40 years in the PBA and 185 years in the industry. It’s also our way of thanking the Ginebra fans for 40 years of unparalleled support in the PBA.”
Last Thursday, the “Never Say Die” jersey was unveiled in a nostalgic program that relived milestones of Ginebra’s 40-year history as a PBA franchise at the Novotel in Cubao. Five variations of the jersey will be available for fans to collect in a promotion where the redemption period is from May 16 to June 30. The designs are No. 32 for Justin Brownlee, No. 13 for JayJay Helterbrand, No. 7 for Robert Jaworski, No. 47 for Mark Caguioa and No. 6 for Scottie Thompson. The Brownlee, Helterbrand and Caguioa jerseys are in white while the Jaworski and Thompson jerseys are in red. To score each jersey, fans may visit Puregold and select General Trade redemption outlets with six seals of Ginebra San Miguel or five caps of GSM Blue, GSM Blue Flavors, Primera Light Brandy or GSM Premium Gin plus P100.
The unveiling program brought back the ‘80s dance troupe Ginebra Super Angels and singer Gary Granada whose compositions of Ginebra songs are still as popular as they were back in the day. Jaworski, Brownlee, Helterbrand, Caguioa and Thompson wore the new jerseys on stage where they recalled their unforgettable moments in making history as Ginebra players.
It’s the third straight year that Ginebra is making available jersey designs for fans. In 2017, Ginebra rolled out five designs in a promotion highlighting uniforms from 1985, 1991, 1998, 1999 and 2012. Last year, the “Ginebra Ako” jersey was introduced for the Commissioner’s Cup. And this year, the jersey features the “Never Say Die” mantra and also includes the “Ginebra Ako” tag line. In all, Ginebra has brought out seven jersey designs for fans since 2017.
“We’re excited about the new design because it’s the first time that the ‘Never Say Die’ slogan is actually on the jersey,” said Ginebra brand manager Paolo Tupaz. “It’s extra motivation for our team to play better particularly as we’re the defending champion and it’s our 40th anniversary in the PBA.”
Molina said the unveiling program was streamed live on Ginebra’s Facebook account and generated positive feedback from fans all over the world. OFWs from different countries are asking relatives at home to join the promotion so they, too, get the chance to score jerseys and wear them proudly abroad.