Using savvy marketing, Puma cements the old school shoe's street cred.

Amber Fredman is Puma's director of North American marketing at the company's North American HQ in Westford, MA, overseeing global ad strategies. She defines Puma's North American market position: "We arc not positioned as sportswear, but rather as lifestyle or classics - the original shoes from the 70s. In North America, the brand is still underground, has a lot of credibility on the streets and appeals to people in the creative industries."

Pele, Boris Becker, Diego Maradona, Linford Christie... Puma product has adorned some of the most legendary athletes' bodies. Back in the 80s, it was a favourite on the footy terraces and the B-boy streets of New York. Puma has never tried to pretend that trianers are spaceships. They've never tried to flog us "Air" this or "Pump" that. It's always been straight-up, gimmick-free and forvever cool with the style underground. But somehow, right through the 90's, despite its untouchable sport'n'style heritage, the brand has been bossed by Nike and Adidas.

Puma Sets Real-Athlete Push via Carter TV Spot - Brief Article

Puma breaks its first TV spot with prime endorser and NBA rookie of the year Vince Carter later this month, as it tries to move from a positioning of an intriguing retro brand to one of established athletic performance.

Puma North America is set to air an edgy TV commercial that features blunt talk about boxing.

Puma North America is set to air an edgy TV commercial that features blunt talk about boxing from endorser Oscar De La Hoya.

The "provocative" ad will not promote a specific product but will serve as an image spot for Puma; it will run in advance of the undefeated welterweight champion's Sept. 18 fight against Felix Trinidad in Las Vegas.

$70M Effort in "Ruthless Pursuit of Fun" via Gyro Worldwide.

Puma is breaking a $70 million global marketing campaign via Gyro that bucks the category's recent trend of downplaying pro athletes to hawk sporting goods.

Four image spots, which began airing last week, feature basketball player Vince Carter, tennis star Serena Williams, boxer Oscar de la Hoya and skateboarder Kien Lieu, as well as the metal/hip-hop band Korn. The ads look like videos set to Korn's music. The push unveils Puma's first new tagline in years: "The ruthless pursuit of fun."

MARKETING 101: NEW PUMA ADS GO BACK TO BASKETBALL BASICS

Puma's new basketball ad campaign "forgoes proendorsers in favor of the potentially risky strategy of using high-school" basketball players, according to Jeff Jensen of AD AGE. The "Back to the Game" campaign, from PA-based Quaker City Mercantile, will have TV and print support. The young players used in ads "are from Puma's strongest markets:" Chicago, Detroit, Houston, Philadelphia, N.Y., and L.A. Jensen writes that some footwear companies have been "criticized for targeting and wooing high school" players, but Puma Chief Creative Officer Antonio Bertone said that the athletes featured in the new ads "aren't being paid, and therefore they shouldn't be considered endorsers." He noted that Puma will stop using the athletes in their senior year in order to protect their NCAA eligibility. Puma, whose '98 ad budget will be 15% of sales, will begin airing the spots nationally during the NBA playoffs (AD AGE, 3/9 issue).

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Quaker City Mercantile, Puma