Sportswear brand Puma adds an extra, non-sports dimension to its current #NoMatterWhat ‘training’ initiative with a US campaign strand fronted by pop star Rihanna.
Spearheaded by a striking black and white video that centres on stylish images of key moments in the Barbados-born star’s life are projected on her body.
The artist herself explains what it means to train and challenge herself.
The ad sees the artist explain what training and challenging herself really means and the message is that Rihanna also trains to enhance her performance and to further her career as an artist.
It also asks ‘What Are You Training For?’ and drives viewers to the initiatives core digital hub at http://puma.com/training
The campaign also includes OOH advertising and digital and social work with solo executions as well as assets with the singer next to Olympian runner Usain Bolt.
Faster, stronger, fiercer than ever. @Rihanna trains for the stage. What are you training for? pic.twitter.com/cDrwlIL1gt
— PUMA (@PUMA) August 26, 2015
Creeper, the first design from FENTY – PUMA by @Rihanna. Limited edition available now at http://t.co/OY1TVo0048 pic.twitter.com/rP5YFRpEug
— PUMA (@PUMA) September 14, 2015
To make records. To set records. @Rihanna trains for platinum #NoMatterWhat
https://t.co/LA2FpKxB5p
— PUMA (@PUMA) September 10, 2015
The campaign, which has been developed in harness with agency J. Walter Thompson New York, has been rolling out from mid September and its twin creative directors were Florent Imbert and Emmanuel Lalleve.
The objective behind the campaign is to show the motivation behind people’s training and inspire others to define their own motivation.
Its aim is not just to help individuals and teams to put more energy into training, but also to put more positivity back into sport.
Puma’s intimate training take is that it’s not an ‘end goal’, but rather a means to a more positive self and a stronger game.
It tells individual athlete’s own stories and was initially fronted by flagship Puma endorsers and the world’s fastest man Usain Bolt.
As well as Bolt and Rihanna, further stores focus on striker Sergio Agüero, Arsenal Football Club and the Cuban National Boxing team.
All offering a behind-the-scenes peek into their training regimes.
Assets carry the brand’s umbrella rally cry tagline #NoMatterWhat and they aim to guide consumers to the tools and motivation they need in their training commitment.
Comment
The big sportswear brand battle over training continues.
This is a fresh strand within Puma’s second major ‘Forever Faster’ brand campaign with a dedicated focus on ‘training’.
It goes head-to-head with the current ‘training’ marketing trend amongst sports brands to focus on the less glamorous side of exercise and hard work.
This trend currently stretches from Under Armour’s ‘Rule Yourself’ (see case study), to to Nike’s #BetterForIt (see case study).
Links
Puma Training Website:
Puma Website:
Puma Twitter:
Puma Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/PUMAUK?brand_redir=56470448215
Puma Video:
http://news.puma.com/GLOBAL/WATCH-US-ON-YOUTUBE
J Walter Thompson New York
