What I Learned at Oakley

March 29, 2009 · Comments

Lcpl Daniel Picketts - used with Permission The other day, I’m at my local comic book store, and I tell my friend, Mick, that I just got back from visiting Oakley headquarters in California. There’s a U.S. Army soldier standing there waiting to buy some things, and he listens to me talk about how Oakley tests all their eyewear, and how they shoot BBs and drop spikes and all these other crazy things, just to prove that the glasses are safe to wear in a variety of circumstances.

The soldier, I note, is wearing Oakley eyeglasses, but then he says to us:

” I know. The swelling on my face finally just went down after four weeks. Everything but right here was trashed.” (“Right here” was where his sunglasses protected him.)

The first picture isn’t that soldier. It’s another soldier, one Lance Corporal Daniel Picketts. You see, while I was touring the facilities, I tweeted where I was, and I got a message from @PixieStevenson:

@chrisbrogan Oakley sunglasses? Tell them thanks for making shatter-proof, combat sunglasses. My Marine son in Afghanistan wears them.

Pixie later went on to blog about it herself, but here we were again, with a story of how Oakley made a difference to her Marine son.

Design Is In Their Blood

Oakley HQ From the moment you arrive at Oakley headquarters, you know things are going to be different. I rolled up with Bryan Elliott, who arranged the tour and a meeting with Pat McIlvain, VP of Global Sports Marketing, as well as with Ken Loh from Oakley’s web team (no idea your real title, Ken). The inside of the place looked a bit like the set of Batman ( see here and here), and everyone we met there was so very passionate about what they do.

When Pat showed us the various types of eyewear and apparel Oakley was making, it was interesting enough, but it wasn’t until later, when I went on a tour, that I started to understand what the quality of their design really meant overall. I appreciated everything I saw in the store, but saying that would be way too surface. It wasn’t until I was educated on the process, and when I saw what went into quality testing these products that things became more clear.

Oakley is Made in the USA

Pat from OakleyOne detail that struck me right away: customer service, manufacturing, shipping, and pretty much everything they do is done right there in Orange County, California. I’m from the world of software. We tend to outsource everything. It was neat to see the entire food chain in one place. During the tour of the quality labs, it was quickly evident why that mattered. Every little change designers make in their products (I saw eyewear being tested) resulted in a battery of grueling tests.

I saw a guy firing steel balls at several pairs of sunglasses, several times in a row, to simulate lens and frame impact. There was a test where they dropped a five pound spike six or so feet onto the glasses to demonstrate that they were shatterproof. (They also showed several competitors’ products and how they fared in the shatter tests. Hint: not very well.)

This goes right back to the start of my post: these glasses don’t just look good, they save your eyes from serious situations.

Oakley Designs Stuff for Movies

Oakley Glasses from XMen MoviesOkay, I knew that Oakley equipped athletes and things like that, but I forgot (or didn’t know) that they supplied the eyewear for Cyclops for the X-Men movies. The top pair were what he wore in X-Men 1 and 3, and the bottom pair were what he wore for X-Men 2. How cool is that? Well, if you think it ends there, I’ve got more. (Believe me, this is just geeking out at that point, but it goes with what else I learned about the company.)

Snake Eyes Visor from GI-Joe Movie from Oakley Oakley also designed the visors for Snake Eyes in the upcoming GI-Joe movie. Is that not the coolest? If you look in the background, you’ll also recognize the Predator helmet from the movie Predator. Yep, Oakley designers were behind that. It turns out that they’re just as often hanging out in Hollywood as they are in the skate parks and BMX trails, and all the other places they equip athletes. As a geek, it was really cool to see their design ethics move from functional athletic performance gear into fictional superhero stuff. Does your company do that?

Oakley is People-Driven

Inspiration Wall at OakleyPat McIlvain told me that his sales staff sticks around an average of eight years. That’s a pretty decent longevity, given the state of things everywhere, and given the rigorous life of salespeople. It spoke to me of being well cared for, as well as having a lot of opportunity in front of them. When I had lunch in their cafeteria (Thursdays are chicken wrap day, by the way), everyone was happy, full of energy, and really excited. Sure, every day there can’t be amazing and delightful, but folks looked pretty darned excited.

Another point worth mentioning: when I asked Pat what it was like supporting all these various athletic professionals (they sponsor several different professionals in several different sports verticals), Pat mentioned that it was great to be there to give a guy a pat on the back when things didn’t really work out, and double fun to be there to celebrate their victories. He really saw the company as being in the experience with the athletes, and not just suppliers, and it’s clear to me (there was a snowboarding professional visiting when I was there) that their athletes seem to feel the same way back.

In fact, I left there thinking that Oakley was every bit as much in the athlete promotions business as they were in the apparel manufacturing space.

Wrapping it All Up

Oakley ApparelThere are many great companies out there worth exploring. I felt privileged to take a tour of Oakley, and to speak with the people there, and to come away with a sense of what they had been doing for the last three decades. It was exciting seeing how they touched people’s lives, how they participated in various communities, and what their company culture meant to the people I saw there, not to mention the people who love their products.

It got me thinking that there’s lots more to Colin Browning’s American Innovator’s Roadtrip project (part of what we do with New Marketing Labs), and that exploring companies and learning some of the story behind the brands is important and interesting work. I saw firsthand how Oakley touched people’s lives (two soldiers with two different stories), and got to see what went into their products.

It makes me wonder just how much we could stand to learn about some of the remarkable companies that are out there.

What do you think?

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  • i have 2 oakley flak jackets, its the best sunglasses have ever had
  • oakley sunglasses are good and cool, and sunglasses gives protection to us and many use it.
  • Oakley really deserves to be called great.. in everything they do they do it for their costumers sake who trusted them.
  • Piet
    I just bought some Oakley Radar Paths, because they were made in the USA.

    I was dissapointed that all the packaging material was made in China. From the soft bag to the hard case. For $190 they cost me, I'd pay 5$ extra dollars to try and keep some folks employed by making everything in the states.
  • awesome, I haven't knew that oakley is testing their products before selling.. I really love oakley sunglasses. I want to watch a video of it, I've seen a video and guess it was an oakley sunglasses look at this site http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cnfjKHDD6hc
  • That was very interesting. I'd never given much thought to the company culture behind the brand name - though I've been a customer off and on for two decades (mostly off since they don't break!).
  • I just wanted to say how glad I was to hear all the details about Oakley. I was using Oakley back in the 80's when they first started, when I was on a cycling team. In fact, I've never stopped using Oakley since then, but about 10, 15 years ago, when they weren't doing quite so well, an older friend of mine with some money asked me who I would invest in, if I had extra cash - he wanted to perspective of a younger, "hipper" person. And I told him how much I liked Oakley and how good their products were. This was before they had any of the stuff they have now - no clothes, or the fancy glasses or anything.

    He told me a few years later I had netted him some serious cash. I was glad for him, and for Oakley, but bummed I had been in grad school and hadn't done the same ;-)
  • Hi Chris,

    My blog today http://adjix.com/a8e3 is a pointer to this article - as a quality professional, I was excited to see someone 'else' be impressed with testing to ensure that product = hype. Thanks for bringing us behind the scenes -- and if Oakley ever needs someone to come in and streamline their processes, or just drool over their kick-ass testing procedures, pass along my name, will ya? Thanks!
  • Great post about Oakley bro, I run a blog about celebrities and what sunglasses they wear. I grew up on Oakley and they were actullay my first expensive pair ever, now about 70 pairs sunglasses later this article brings me back to where it all began. I've always thought they were the most innovative brand in the business but I hardley get to see them anymore cause all my focus is on what celebs are wearing and as you can imagine Paris and Lindsay dont wear many Oakleys, lol.
  • ashley
    Oakleys are worth every penny. best damn sunglasses on earth - ive been wearing them since i was 13 when i started snowboarding (im 20 now) - i bought them because they looked cool, but then when i checked out the technical details i was amazed! i wont wear any eyewear besides, their stuff is the safest with perfect optics.
  • Have you read Tribal Leadership by Logan, Kin, and Fischer-Wright yet? Oakley sounds like they could be functioning as a Stage 4+ org, from your brief description!

    Cool.

    ea/
  • Great story Chris & way to use pictures and human stories to really bring it home from the soldiers perspective to the athletes pursuit of winning. I am HUGE fan of J. Jannard and love how they are taking that experience attitude to the new RED camera they are developing. It is truly amazing that when you walk into an Oakley store or use one of their products that you 'feel' the brand in much the same way that Nike & Starbucks get you to soak it all in.

    Keep it going...LG
  • Great article Chris!

    Other's have already pointed out their stories - I'll add mine. I have always worn Oakleys when riding my road bicycle - mainly because of the great optics and protection from the wind. One day, I was bombing down a steep decent on pavement that had loose gravel thrown onto it. A passing car kicked up a large piece of that gravel which struck my glasses on the left side (Oakley Pro-M frames - Hybrid S lenses) while I was doing 40mph.

    Needless to say, those glasses saved my sight, and most likely my life, as I probably would have taken a huge nose dive off of the bike from the impact of that gravel into my eye. It's great to hear about the inner workings of the company, and what they do for their athletes (remember, they gave Lance Armstrong benefits when he was first going through cancer treatment and no one else would cover him).

    People say the glasses are expensive, and they are right, but this really is a case of 'you get what you pay for'. I never swing a leg over the top tube of my bike without donning a pair of Oakleys. Life is just to short to screw around with inferior eye protection.
  • Great post Chris and thanks again for visiting SoCal Action Sports network and our group of youth brands. I was also really impressed by our tour and agree with everything that's been said. The one thing I'd like to say is how impressed I was with VP Sports Marketing Patrick Mcilvain. Here's a guy who basically runs marketing at a $billion dollar company, is best buds with pro board riders Shaun White, Danny Cass and others (BTW, Danny and his posse were at Oakley talking to Pat while we were there).

    I've met a lot of CMO's and people with big titles who make you feel that THEY are a big deal. Pat was just the opposite. Super humble guy and someone you would like to invite to your house for a BBQ. As I understand it, Pat's been with Oakley for over 14 years. Before that he was a professional skier and mountain biker. He also owns a media company called 1242 Productions and helps run an organization for Autism called TACA (Talk About Curring Autism). He's the kind of person I can see taking over the helm at Oakley some day. And if and when that happens, the Oakley brand will continue to be in good hands.
  • Not often do I get a chance to reminisce about the joys of whole process business on one site, or in the USA. We have gotten so used to outsourcing materials, projects, or other parts of the process of doing business that we forget, AMERICANS have all the resources to do and complete a job HERE.

    Thanks for the reminder of a company who does complete the project here in the USA!

    Jan Verhoeff
  • Until going there to hear you speak, thanks to Brian Elliott, I was not aware of their intense passion for design and product integrity. Definitely a bigger fan now than I was before. Thanks for coming and this post.
  • Being monocular and having to always wear glasses to protect my one good eye, I never gave Oakley a chance due to their "wrap-around" design. I did not know until now how it makes so much sense for me to go "Oakley" for that safety and protection! Plus, it was really cool to see and be in their facility! :~)
  • I wore Oakleys while I was in Iraq serving. Most of the Marines did. Worth the price for the protection.
  • Yet another perfect example of how it isn't always about just having a good product, its about having a good business.

    And I am totally geeking out over the Cyclops glasses! I just watched X-Men 3 a couple of weeks ago. I think they even talk about the Oakleys in the Special Features on the DVD. I love comic book superheroes. Maybe Oakley can make it into the new Wonder Woman movie?!
  • I bought my first pair of Oakley's because I thought they were "cool." Thanks for enlightening me about the story behind the glasses and what they stand for. I have a new appreciation for not only the product, but people who design and create them.
  • Chris, I had absolutely NO idea about any of this (and I'm a retired military guy). I thought Oakley was just another frou-frou label company where they import some cheap stuff from some third world country that's the same junk everybody else has, but put their logo on it, and then charge a fortune. Nice to know I'm way wrong - I love companies like this, especially where they are still making it all here in the USA.
  • Wow...I never knew so much went in to making sunglasses! First off, I love the fact that they didn't put price over quality by outsourcing their production. It tells me a lot about the product and a lot about the people that run Oakley. During these tough economic time, it takes a lot for companies not to go the cheaper route . Not only that, but their ability to find a spot in so many niches exemplifies great marketing and great branding!

    I also love seeing that Oakley really takes care of their employees, and in turn their employees love being there and contributing to great products and a great brand. I can now add them to my list of great companies that "get it".

    Thanks for sharing Chris, I'll let you know once I get my first pair!
  • Until I read this Oakley was just, in my eyes, another hip eyeglass company. I trust you and trust your take on the place and the emphasis on safety. The story about the soldiers is the real peg for me. I know half a dozen guys who swear by these glasses and now I know why. Great post. Converted me just in time for summer! And the building is sweet! You're right - very batman-esqe.
  • Chris - great recap of a great company. Made me realize that I should have brought you around our ball plants during your visit with us a few months back - you would surely see some parallels between Titleist and Oakley's in the QA, testing, associate passion and pride in the manufacturing of the #1 ball in golf. As always, thanks for sharing your experiences and insights. Liz
  • Hey Chris,

    Caught this on my stream of tweets and wanted to chime in. I agree with comments above about how striking and timely a post like this can be at a time when we are hearing nothing but bad things about the American economy and its business philosophies. The Oakley story, and hopefully many more companies like them are nice to hear. Thanks for sharing!

    One area that I would absolutely love to see Oakely technology get into is goalie masks. As I understand it, they are already producing hockey visors (they call them shields) and Alex Ovechkin wears one. I offer this opinion first and foremost as a Canadian, a hockey enthusiast and up until two years ago, someone who was playing the position at a recreational level. I've also been collecting masks on and off for a few years, including some of the classic reproductions.

    The little that I can offer up on their history - there hasn't been much change in the past 20 or so years in the design of goalie masks. They pretty much have been whats called a combo mask since the early 80's. The vintage (pre-combo) masks had a sleekness about them that really stands up to time but are not practical with todays speed of the game because the eyeholes just don't measure up to the view you get with a mask, and given Oakelys competence in developing shatter-proof material, I'd like to see them do either a throwback to the old mask designs with see through materials, or offer up something completely new. IMHO I really think this is an area that a company like Oakley could really stir up some excitement.

    Joseph
    @RepuMetrix
  • Hey Chris, some day you gotta come to USAA - http://www.usaa.com

    They kick ass on customer service, on and offline.

    Come to San Antonio and I'll hook you up there.

    Almost happy birthday.
  • Chris,
    It's a good take-away from this story to understand that the retail prices consumers pay for Oakley sunglasses (high) are based on substance and not just brand hype. I am a triathlete and it's no joke if something smacks you in the eye while you're going 50kph on your bike. Your story not only points up several good lessons for how companies can become successful, it makes me feel a little more justified for my personal investment in my Oakley's! Thanks,
    Bill
  • Hi Chris! You opened my eyes to an Oakley that I didn't know prior to reading your blog. When I think of the brand, I think of trendy eyewear and that's about it. But you've made me think differently; it's more than just sunglasses that look good, but there's excellent quality behind the brand, they protect your eyes in certain situations and the employees are truly passionate about what they do. Now, I never would have known this from typical marketing and I think that Oakley has the chance to engage with me (a potential new customer) directly through social media communications to continue their story. It's a good story and I enjoyed your post :)
  • While your whole post was interesting and engaging, I was't feeling compelled to comment until your very last two sentences. And then you got me so passionate about something that I just had to! “How much we could stand to learn about some of the remarkable companies out there” – isn’t that what Social Media is *all about*! It gives companies – remarkable and otherwise -- the opportunity to tell their story day in and day out to the world.

    Think about how you used to learn about a brand: I suspect that before today my entire brand perception about Oakley was based on a single print advertisement I saw six years ago. A single print advertisement! Now I can hear the story, unfiltered by marketing directors or hordes of publication editors. I can see a brands values – the real *values* of a company -- through the eyes of a mother on Twitter, or a comment about experience by the marketing guy or a detail about the 5 pound spike in the testing process. And I get to see and meet evangelists and converts for the brand and hear their stories. A print ad with a marketing message? Or Social Media with a brand story? Okay, sorry. I know I don’t have to convince *you* of its power. And am pretty sure I don’t have to convince Oakley. Powerful stuff Chris, thanks.
  • Wow, that's pretty interesting to find out. Makes me want to go buy a pair myself.
  • As a ophthalmologist who sees what a bad eye injury is and whose office sells Oakleys, I found this story very interesting. It would certainly behoove Oakley to share this information with as many eye care professionals as possible.... it could turn glass sellers into product advocates as it has done to me..
  • It is so reenchanting to hear about companies that really are doing it, they can make money, business and friends at the same time.
  • I have always use cheap shades, but apparently it is a good idea to invest in proper sun glasses.
  • Isn't it great to see an example of how a business should be run. Great product, constant innovation and amazing leadership that instills in people that excitement and pride in what they are doing. Well done Oakley.
  • Talk about up to date & current. wow those soldiers are lucky to have oakleys.
  • Fascinating! I've been an Oakley wearer for years, but never looked past the product to discover the brand, let alone the people behind it.
    This would make a fantastic series - I'll leave the US to you Chris! - I'm going to hunt some of Europe's great brands to visit and write about!
  • Hi Chris,

    I'm an Oakley employee, but I'm in no way speaking on behalf of Oakley.

    Regardless, thanks for the praise. Before I started working for Oakley (I work for Ken Loh, by the way... his title is Web Director -- he reports directly to the VPs), I had no idea what Oakley was about. Now that I work here, I'm floored by the creativity and passion that goes into everything here.

    I'm passionate about what I do, and Oakley went way out of their way to bring me over from Florida to do, basically, XHTML and CSS. My passion for it and my drive to learn new things is a major part of what got me hired, and I'm positive it's the same for every other person at Oakley.

    We love what we do, so thanks for the support that enables us to continue doing it. Also, if you'd like to read more stories of how our eyewear has helped people, check out the "Bloody Eye" section of our site. (WARNING: Some graphic/almost bloody images... http://oakley.com/community/news/bloody_eye )


    Jimmy
  • Dan Sheppard
    I was skiing, hit a a lot of branches, if it were not for my Oakley shades I think my eye would still be up on the mountain...thank god for a great American company.
  • Omar Hashmy
    Interesting how it takes someone from the other side of the country to educate me on great things happening right in my own backyard! I always knew Oakley was headquartered here in Orange County, but I never really knew what they were about or what they stood for until reading your post. I will be visiting my sister in Boston this July, so may be I will have a chance to return the favor. Thanks for this!
  • I work in law enforcement in Orange County. Oakley's are a staple for every day wear in patrol. It is like a gold standard; black Oakley's with shiny metallic lenses.

    I've had over 10 pairs of Oakley's in my 12 years of law enforcement. They always seem to disappear. :)

    Plus Oakley has some pretty cool warehouse sales too!
  • I always see their building while we are out and about. Awesome to read about them. What a great company... and made in the USA to boot!
  • Great, Chris. When we are "wronged" or have a gripe, we tend to broadcast that out into the Universe. But when we find a product that works or a business that offers exemplary service, we fear that our praises might be suspect and only whisper our praises. It should be the opposite: Whisper complaints, Shout praises.
  • @Jason - I felt the same way. I've only owned $10 sunglasses my whole life. Watching the shatter testing in their labs changed my mind forever.
  • I have never been one to love the astethic of most Oakley sunglasses, but their testing and the military support got me to give them a second look a few months back. I ended up finding one of their new pairs that I really dug. Have not gotten them yet but I plan too. They are pricey. But I saw the same testing that they do, and I really get tired of cheap sunglasses that break. I would have never reconsidered without these investments that they made into quality and military support.
  • Great post Chris!
    Two years ago - I was on my motorcycle when a car in front of me launched a rock at me while travelling 45mph and it hit the right lense of my Oakley riding glasses. While the impact certainly slowed me down and scared the sweet beejeezus out of me, it left only the smallest knick on my glasses and most importantly --- I didn't lose my vision from a rock being impaled in my eye! Like a helmet, once you have an impact it's a good idea to replace and I gladly purchased a new pair of Oakley riding glasses. They are a valuable piece of riding gear and I don't ride without them. You can tell a great deal of science went into the making of the glasses from reducing glare, snug fit, foam eye pads that keep wind out of the eyes, to style and especially; durability! It was great to see the corportation behind the name from your eyes - thanks for sharing!
  • Chris:
    My husband is in Federal Law Enforcement and swears by Oakleys. He says their stuff is the "perfect marriage between art and function." All the investigators and agents he works with swears by them.

    So great to hear about your tour of their OC facility. Talk about a loyal tribe (in the truest Seth Godin way) of followers... Oakley has earned theirs.

    Dawn Carter
    @decart
  • I think that a company like Oakley with strong values can always find a way to stay relevant and profitable. I'm sure they could have moved things overseas for production, engineering and manufacturing to lower costs. The coolest thing here is that they realize lowering those costs only lowers their values. I applaud a company like this that cn find so many niches and communities to insert themselves into. It's good to see that they support and promote their athletes. They understand that the payback is in paying it forward.

    I am heading to the West Coast for my honeymoon this summer. I would love to visit. Looks like an amazing facility! Thanks for sharing this Chris.
  • I've always known Oakley to be a top brand but I never really looked much past that. To see the inner workings and to see that their brand is not just what the outside sees it as but it is actually what they are built on is really cool.

    I think this is why a brand like Oakley is so strong. Behind the scenes is exactly how they are. There is nothing to hide which is what makes them so strong. Many companies can learn from this.

    Reading this post just made me want to go buy a pair.
  • Chris, awesome to hear your experience at a people driven company. I wonder if their R&D is anything like Apple's...hiring the best people who want to make the best stuff...

    I would love to see more of your insight on companies like Oakley. You've got a great way of putting things and you are a very personable blogger--great for on sight interviews and such. Go for it!
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