RYU Apparel Inc. Pays Respect to Christopher Walken's Iconic "Lion Speech" with Inspirational Video

VANCOUVER, BC, April 22, 2021 /PRNewswire/ - RYU Apparel Inc. (TSXV: RYU) (OTCQB: RYPPF) (FWB: RYAA) ("RYU" or the "Company"), creator of award-winning urban athletic apparel, is pleased to share its latest inspirational video staring the voice of legendary actor Christopher Walken. The video features the iconic "Lion Speech" from the groundbreaking 2002 independent film Pool Hall Junkies, that went viral during the 2016 NBA Playoffs as a Lebron James and Cleveland Cavaliers hype video, which fueled, arguably, the greatest comeback in NBA history over the Golden State Warriors. The speech went viral again, on January 4, 2020, as Tom Brady prepared to play his last game as a New England Patriot having cut HIS hype video to this now iconic speech (Brady's "Lion Speech" video was seen by more than nine million people in less than five days on Twitter alone).

Now, in partnership with Branded Entertainment Inc. (BEI), and in anticipation of episode 4 of "The Count", a new streaming series produced by BEI showcasing a modern day retelling of the classic story of The Count of Monte Cristo and which insiders say may feature a guest appearance from Mr. Walken. RYU intends to release the speech as its own motivational message of Respect. The company will use the video on the Shopify (TSX: SHOP) site, across social media and advertising platforms, including Facebook (NASDAQ: FB), as well as with influencers and marketing partnerships.

In conjunction with the video release, RYU will be giving customers a chance to give the gift of respect by gifting one company's signature RESPECT items and experiences including, T-Shirt, hats, and celebrity experiences with the Vancouver Canucks Alumni, NFL Alumni Academy and even as a guest appearance on The Count. Further details for this unique campaign will be available shortly.

To view lion speech:   https://ryu.ca/pages/ryu-lion-speech

RYU CEO Cesare Fazari, who will make a guest appearance in Episode 4 playing himself as the CEO of RYU, said, "This is a very exciting marketing opportunity for RYU. This speech gave me chills the first time I heard it and even though we all come from different backgrounds and live different lives, I hope it will help lift up our customers as they move through their daily lives – especially during this challenging time in our world!"

"We're all very excited!," says Academy Award winner and BEI CEO Jonathan Sanger (The Elephant Man, Vanilla Sky, Mission Impossible 2). "We feel as though this is a time when people need inspiration the most, and what could be more inspiring than Christopher Walken's iconic "Lion Speech"? It has become the most quoted inspirational speech of this generation."

The Count originally aired a sneak preview of its first three episodes on FITE TV on November 28 in connection with the Mike Tyson/Roy Jones Jr. fight. BEI will announce when episode 4 is available for streaming.

To view the trailer: https://thecount.beivip.us/

About RYU Apparel

RYU Apparel (TSXV: RYU, OTCQB: RYPPF, FWB: RYAA), or Respect Your Universe, is an award winning urban athletic apparel and accessories brand engineered for the fitness, performance and lifestyle of the athletic man and woman. Designed without compromise for fit, comfort, and durability, RYU exists to facilitate optimal human performance. For more information, please visit the RYU website at: http://ryu.com

About BEI

Branded Entertainment Inc. is an innovative branding and production company founded by Academy Award winning Producer Jonathan Sanger, whose unique approach to film and television production incorporates BEI's product and brand partners directly into the story-telling process of the films and television shows they produce. (Successful examples of this are Avion Tequila in HBO's hit series Entourage and BMW in Sanger's Mission Impossible)

In addition to product and brand integration, BEI is leading the charge toward the decentralization of the distribution of content, allowing multiple platforms the ability to distribute BEI content directly to their massive built in user bases.

Forward Looking Statements Disclaimer

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange Inc. nor its Regulation Service Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange Inc.) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this press release.

This news release contains forward-looking information that involves various risks and uncertainties regarding future events. Such forward-looking information can include without limitation statements based on current expectations involving a number of risks and uncertainties and are not guarantees of future performance of RYU, BEI or "The Count"; Such statements as regarding the development and implementation of product placement in the series, celebrity product seeding, viewership or the increase of RYU's visibility to investor, viewers or customers. There are numerous risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results and RYU's plans and objectives to differ materially from those expressed in the forward-looking information, including those arising from the COVID-19 pandemic or otherwise, and which may result in the inability to develop and/or implement a comprehensive investor relations strategy and/or enhancement of RYU awareness with the investment community, including any capital market strategy, the investor relations providers failing to deploy their best-in-class platforms or to otherwise communicate any compelling value proposition of RYU, the failure of the campaign to highlight renewal of the RYU brand and subsequent successes under the its CEO, the possibility that RYU does not achieve positive cash flow operations. Except as required by law, RYU does not intend to update these forward-looking statements.

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SOURCE RYU Apparel Inc.