Texas-based streetwear company True Brvnd has made a huge splash since its launch in 2020. You may have seen Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott wearing one of the firm’s hats with its signature upside-down “Dallas” text arced across the brim. Musician Post Malone wore a similar hat in his “I Had Some Help” video with Morgan Wallen. The brand recently kicked off a new collaboration with automotive giant Pennzoil, and it’s adding flair to both firms.
Featuring three different hats—one with the Pennzoil name upside-down, one with pinstripes, and one trucker style—and a branded t-shirt packaged in a clever packaging that looks like an oil can, the Pennzoil collection represents True Brvnd founder Sang Truong’s passion for Texas culture.
“Pennzoil is legacy,” Truong says. “I grew up with this brand and it represents Texas history. Right off the bat, I knew we would have a deep connection with Pennzoil.”
True Brvnd's collaboration with Pennzoil follows other high-value partnerships with companies like NASCAR.
True Brvnd
True Brvnd Streetwear Disrupts Fashion
Truong founded True Brvnd with the idea that Dallas needed a unifying brand that connected the roots of Dallas culture that wasn’t solely sports related. What is a hat, anyway? It is a head protector. Sunscreen. Shade. Eye protection. And in this case, it makes a statement, an outreach.
“I wanted to create something that truly represents the city and community,” Truong told D Magazine. “We have seen a lot of New York- and Los Angeles-based brands, but you don’t see a Dallas-based brand at all.”
He chose the name True, because it closely matches his last name, and played with the word “brand” but flipped the letter “A” upside-down as a fun and stylistic touch. Almost as soon as he started marketing his streetwear, it sold out; that’s a testament to the niche Truong innately understands.
“I’m a big believer in human disruption,” he says. “Tech does that, and while I’m not a tech guy, I’m more of a fashion guy. It works.”
The founder saw a kindred spirit in Ben DiNucci, a former Dallas Cowboys quarterback, and approached him to join True Brvnd as a co-owner to help grow the business and its reach.
True Brvnd founder Sang Truong
True Brvnd
Pennzoil Connects To Just Hands
Pennzoil launched a video series called “Long May We Drive” that celebrates the diversity and passion of the Los Angeles car community. That message carries over to the True Brvnd collaboration and beyond. Further, a portion of the proceeds from the collaboration goes to Torsten Gross and the Just Hands Foundation, adding a benevolent twist. Gross is a racecar driver and quadriplegic who aims to make driving more accessible for all, and this contribution will help him further his mission.
“We want to be more than engine protection,” says Amanda Luce, brand manager for Pennzoil. “Our ethos is about celebrating drivers no natter what and how they drive, we see a thread that connects them all. To us, our ethos is about furthering that passion for people.”
Gearheads know the Pennzoil name, but this partnership brings the name the forefront of everyday culture.
“People might think this is just another collab” Truong says. “But for me, speaking from passion and as a gearhead, this is family linking up. When Pennzoil called, it felt like just another family connection.”
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