NATIONAL RETAILER JOURNEYS TAPS POPULAR GAMER & PROFESSIONAL STREAMER KARL JACOBS AS ITS CREATIVE AMBASSADOR, ADVISING AT THE INTERSECTION OF GAMING AND YOUTH CULTURE

Global Gaming Firm Loaded Facilitated the Multi-faceted Deal with the Creator and On Board to Lead Journeys' Foray into Gaming

NASHVILLE, Tenn., March 31, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Journeys, the leading specialty footwear retailer for teens, announced that one of today's top streamers and popular gamers, Karl Jacobs (@karljacobs), will be advising the company as its Creative Ambassador. With a total of more than 28M followers across platforms, Karl will leverage his gaming and retail experience, as well as his personal passion for the brand to introduce Journeys to the vast gaming community.

Karl will work closely with the Journeys team to develop and support content strategies and digital marketing initiatives that resonate with the gaming community throughout 2022, including summer, back-to-school and holiday campaigns, among others. He joins Journeys after a year of impressive growth for the company, which saw the retailer set an all-time record of sales and operating profit for 2021. As the company expands into new audiences, Karl brings his authentic POV as an active gamer and streamer with insights into digital content and social strategy for this specific audience.

Originally rising to prominence as a part of MrBeast's on-screen talent team, Karl Jacobs has quickly become one of the internet's most beloved and most watched creators on the planet. As a gamer, podcast host and creator, Karl is the second most concurrently watched streamer on Twitch and his podcast, "Banter with Sapnap and Karl Jacobs" recently debuted at number 1 on the Spotify Podcast Charts. A self-made entrepreneur, Jacobs successfully launched his own line of merchandise late-2021 with the support of fans and fellow creators. Karl's passion for connecting with audiences at the intersection of creativity and gaming is a perfect match for Journeys' ethos: to empower and promote the next generation.

"We are excited to have Karl Jacobs join the Journeys' family. He immediately stood out to us as someone who shares our passion for creativity, authenticity and self-expression – with unparalleled enthusiasm and a work ethic to match. He will play an integral role in our strategic approach to introducing ourselves and engaging with the gaming community in an authentic and meaningful way," said Kari Irons, Senior Vice President of Marketing at Journeys. "Gaming is fueling youth culture right now and we know we need to earn our place and build trust with the community first. We are ecstatic for the value and expertise Karl brings in guiding us through this and also for our partnership with gaming firm Loaded in connecting us to creators and content partners like Karl, who share our core values and want to build long-lasting partnerships and connections."

Karl Jacobs added, "As the newly appointed Creative Ambassador for Journeys, I'm excited to combine my love for gaming, creativity and fashion to introduce a new generation of gamers as well as people in general to the brand." 

The partnership with Karl is part of Journeys' larger initiative to continue serving as an extension of teen lifestyles. Global gaming firm Loaded identified Karl as the perfect gaming partner for Journeys based on their proprietary data technology and helped facilitate the deal for Journeys with Karl's management company Night Media. Loaded also serves as the brand consultant for the retailer, developing creator and content strategies for Journeys as it makes its foray into gaming.

"Loaded's Brand Advisory Business is helping brands such as Journeys enter the gaming zeitgeist in a more strategic and authentic way. Journeys understands that working with the gaming community shouldn't be just a one-off campaign, but a long term initiative that is integrated into a brand's marketing strategy," said Nadia Tseng, Vice President of Strategic Partnerships at Loaded. "We are excited to continue working with Journeys on how they are engaging new audiences through gaming, creator and content partnerships."

ABOUT JOURNEYS
Journeys is a teen specialty retail leader with an emphasis on trendy and affordable branded footwear, apparel, and accessories. With more than 800 stores across the U.S., Puerto Rico, and Canada, Journeys caters to a teen that wants to stand out or fit in, with the latest styles influenced by the spirit of youth culture. It's the one-stop for carefully curated selections from brands like Converse, Vans, Crocs, Birkenstock, Adidas, UGG, and more.

The Journeys shopping experience goes beyond the average retail environment, it's an extension of the teen lifestyle. Every store is designed to welcome, inspire, and include each shopper. Self-expression isn't just accepted, it's encouraged through shelves of unique merchandise, exclusive digital content, and a friendly staff that reflects the company's values.

Beyond the store, Journeys consumers can shop via direct-mail catalog or on the web at www.journeys.com. Through a network of partnerships, event sponsorships, and artist collaborations, customers can also interact with the brand across social media platforms and at in-person events, festivals, and concerts. The Journeys team strives to give back to the community through charitable events and volunteer programs with a particular interest in music, arts, action sports and culture. Journeys is and will always be an attitude you can wear.

Journeys is a division of Genesco Inc., based in Nashville, Tenn.

ABOUT KARL JACOBS
Karl Jacobs is an American gamer, podcast host and content creator with over 28 million social media followers across platforms. Originally rising to prominence as a part of MrBeast's on screen talent team, Karl has quickly become one of the internet's most beloved and most watched creators on the planet. Karl's gaming livestreams which largely consist of narrative based Minecraft streams from his server, "Tales From The SMP" have become appointment viewing for his dedicated audience and feature today's biggest celebrities and gamers like Lil Nas X, Dream, Corpse Husband and more. Currently, Karl is the 2nd most concurrently watched streamer on the platform, Twitch and his podcast, "Banter with Sapnap and Karl Jacobs" recently debuted at number 1 on the Spotify Podcast Charts beating out industry juggernauts such as "The Joe Rogan Experience," "Crime Junkie" and "Call Her Daddy."

ABOUT LOADED
Loaded is the leading global gaming firm supporting talent, brand and developer clients, and new ventures with a mission to lead in the development, marketing and growth of the gaming industry. Shroud, DrLupo, CouRage, Myth, Summit1G, QuarterJade, AnneMunition, Sydeon, Doublelift, CohhCarnage and many others comprise Loaded's best-in-class talent roster, which attracts global brand and media attention from the world's leading brands. Across industries, global business leaders including Gillette, The Hershey Company, Capitol Records, Coca-Cola, Samsung, Activision and others looking to advance their presence in gaming in a meaningful way, partner with Loaded and its talent to do so.

SOURCE Genesco Inc.