For this year’s Father’s Day, beloved CBS This Morning host Nate Burleson, Emmy-award-winning sports analyst and a former NFL wide receiver for the Detroit Lions, joined Detroit-born luxury goods design brand Shinola to celebrate the holiday that honors paternal relationships and the importance of fathers in society and within families in general.
“To me, fatherhood is vital because it’s the one thing that I can plug into on a daily basis that will always charge my battery; it never pulls from my battery. There are so many things we do in life when we are at work or being social. When working in a sports capacity, an entertainment capacity, or the news business, you exhaust yourself to be great at those things, and oftentimes, you leave with your battery percentage on low,” he shares with Forbes. “But I know anytime I’m around any of my kids — my daughter Mia, my son, Nehemiah, and my oldest, Nate — I can plug into them, and immediately, I’m back to 100%. “
Many viewers watch Burleson every morning because he brings charisma and astute observations when providing sports commentary; undoubtedly, these were the same qualities the luxury brand exemplified in its label and tapped him to be a part of the company’s endearing digital campaign, Celebrate This Father’s Day With A Timeless Legacy.
Shinola presented the father of three with a custom timepiece titled Legacy Piece for Nate Burleson. The American-based company is legendary for its quality, craftsmanship, and commitment to mastering timepieces and other accessories while underscoring The Comeback City’s remarkable history and resilience.
Tom Kartsotis, the founder of the lifestyle brand and the former chairman and chief executive of Fossil, a multibillion-dollar company, wanted to re-establish American manufacturing and jobs, deciding to capitalize on Detroit’s history of being the bastion of mass production and industrialization, once considered an industrial powerhouse and a cornerstone of American innovation.
“[Kartsotis vision was to bring back American craft by opening the first watch factory built at scale in about a half-century. At the core of that plan was a commitment to creating 100 meaningful jobs in a city [needing] investment,” Awenate Cobbina, Shinola CEO, mentions. ” At that time, the nation was on the heels of the Great Recession. I was in the White House and can tell you that [much] focus was on Detroit following the auto bailouts. So, when Tom Kartsotis considered Detroit for the factory, it was part of a larger emphasis on the city. Detroit welcomed Tom, and he appreciated the city’s embrace. He found an exceptional workforce and a community that supported the mission.”
One of the most significant intentions of the company is to grow within the city; most of the employees that work at Shinola’s Detroit office and factory consider themselves native Detroiters.
“We’ve all grown. Detroit has seen a lot of growth since we started selling watches in 2013,” Cobbina says. The company’s annual revenue in 2022 was $10 million, now employing 400 workers.
“Shinola watches are designed in Detroit, built to reflect our philosophy that they are heirlooms in the making – timepieces to be lived in, worn out, and well-loved. That means we aim for the highest quality, whether choosing suppliers or stitching leather straps in our factory. Our watchmakers train to understand world-class manufacturing processes. For instance, we’ve sent our craftspeople to Switzerland to experience the industry’s best practices firsthand,” Cobbina confesses. “The Shinola watch collection reflects where we are from and the values we hold as a company. Whether it’s The Great American Series, the Birdy collection, watches with a classic Michigan Petosky face, the classic Runwell, or our first automatic chronograph selling in the Canfield Speedway collection, our watches reflect our hometown and our commitment to American craftsmanship and heritage, this means that every watch is not only designed to last but intentionally created with a story to tell. When someone puts on one of our watches, we believe they are wearing a piece of us and, by extension, a piece of Detroit.”
To showcase its brand, Shinola produced a short film available on all its social platforms where Burleson expresses his thoughts on fatherhood, stresses why his family must spend quality time together, and the reason why he decided to construct an heirloom to pass down for future Burlesons. Cameras follow the devoted father into a Shinola store as he searches for the perfect gift for his two sons and daughter to represent his familial heritage.
“I’m looking for something very special. I want to do something for my sons and daughter that will stand the test of time but also be a reminder of our relationship,” says Burleson as he gazes at a case of accessories. A Shinola representative leads him to an immersive experience within the store to select the ideal timepiece for his children adding personalized engravings. At the end of the advertisement, Burleson gives the present to his teenage sons and conveys a priceless message to them, “Thank you for being the best Father’s Day gift year after year after year. I wish time would stop. Every stage of your life, I’ve enjoyed it thoroughly. Because I can’t stop time, I want to put a timepiece on your wrist that you can take with you forever.”
“Take advantage of the time we have,” he adds. “And let’s create the best memories possible.”
For more information, visit Shinola.com
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