Did you hear?…Was that an Icebreaker shirt on Sarah Palin? You betcha!

Icebreaker scored a marketing coup when former Alaskan Gov. Sarah Palin appeared on the cover of Newsweek’s Nov. 23 issue sporting running shorts and the company’s long-sleeve Chase Zip top (which SNEWS® reviewed Jan. 26, 2009).

The cover shot has received unusual attention because Palin said the use of the image was sexist. In fact, the photo was originally shot for the August 2009 issue of Runner’s World, which included a one-page Palin profile concerning health and fitness. (Click here to see that story.) Newsweek used the photo with cover lines that read: “How do you solve a problem like Sarah? She’s bad for the GOP — and for everybody else, too.”

On her Facebook page, Palin told her 1 million fans, “The out-of-context Newsweek approach is sexist and oh-so-expected by now… The media will do anything to draw attention — even if out of context.”

Lee Weinstein of Icebreaker, which wasted no time sending out news of the cover coup (click here), told SNEWS that the company had shipped the shirt to Runner’s World never imagining that it would land on the Newsweek cover.

Weinstein said the photo caused traffic on the Icebreaker website to double, and page views for the Chase Zip jumped 400 percent.

While Palin’s politics don’t necessarily mesh with those of extremely eco-friendly Icebreaker, the company is having fun with the newfound attention.

Icebreaker managing director Jeremy Moon told the New Zealand Herald, “The fact that Sarah Palin looks hot and intelligent on the cover of Newsweek is testament to the transformative power of New Zealand merino against the skin.” Wonder how often Moon had to practice that line to be sure he didn’t laugh while saying it — yeah, you betcha. 

The big question now is whether the Chase Zip will enjoy the same fame as Palin’s Kawasaki rimless glasses made by Italee Optics. If there’s a Palin fan on your Christmas list, you better order now.

–Marcus Woolf