Mid February saw AC Milan confirm that Puma has penned a partnership that will see the sportswear brand become the club’s new global technical supplier and official licensing partner from the start of the 2018/19 season.
The long-term kit sponsorship, which wont commence until the summer, sees Puma replace rival existing 20-year Rossoneri shirt supplier Adidas.
The new deal, which will see the seven times UEFA Champions League winners and 18 times Serie A champions appear in new jerseys from next season, was initially announced not by the German sportswear brand or by the club but through featuring Italian rapper Erni.
Ahead of the official announcement and press release, the young Milan-based rapper Ernia first released a tease track and video on his own YouTube channel (wearing a Puma jacket) with shoutouts to Puma and AC Milan in the lyrics – supported across Puma’s platforms and using the #NewLevels hashtag.
#NewLevels pic.twitter.com/Gi5WOFJOGr
— PUMA Football (@pumafootball) February 12, 2018
This was followed by the full video debuting on Ernia’s YouTube channel,
before an official news conference and press release came from club and brand.
“I am very pleased to announce our partnership with PUMA, to whom we’re bound by mutual esteem and by our common passion for sports and football values,” said Milan CEO Marco Fassone in an official press release.
“They represent a major international brand and we’ll be proceeding together in the next few football seasons in our strategic pathway striving to reach new and extraordinary goals off and on the pitch.”
Bjørn Gulden, Chief Executive Officer of Puma, added: “We are very proud to be partnering with AC Milan. They are one of the most successful clubs in the Football history with a large, global fan base and the team and their fans show the true spirit of football. If you ask me, the Rossoneri jersey is one of the most iconic jerseys in football. We are looking forward to the next chapter of this legendary football club being with PUMA.”
This is another significant deal for Puma amongst Europe’s football club hierarchy and it sees Milan join Olympique Marseille in leaving Adidas for Puma this year: further swelling Puma’s club stable that also includes Arsenal and Borussia Dortmund (and its recent long-term tie up with 2018 World Cup bound Senegal).
While the financial details of the deal were not officially released, there have been conflicting reports on the size of the tie-up cost: one report claimed that Puma’s AC Milan kit deal is worth between €10 and €15m per season (less than the current Adidas €20m per season deal).
Comment:
This deal campaign continues the ongoing trend for blending sport and music: an approach brilliantly brought to life this early in the week through Nike’s much discussed ‘Nothing Beats A Londoner’ film (see case study).
The music ambassador tie-in also seems like a smart tactical solution to the challenges posed by current incumbent adidas still having digital rights across AC Milan’s own platforms until its existing deal comes to an end.
So partnering with a third party platform helps Puma get round this barrier.
Indeed, a few days after the Puma work rolled out Adidas Football included AC Milan in its ongoing, global club-specific European Nights soccer social video series (in alliance with Copa90) with an episode focusing on the club.
Hot on the heels of the club’s new kit partner creative came a pair of day-specific tactical AC Milan initiatives: one celebrating Valentine’s Day,
Love is an art, a gaze, a smile, the truth
This is what "love is…" according to the Rossoneri. What is love for you
Happy #ValentinesDay!
L'amore è un'arte, uno sguardo, un sorriso, la verità
Per i rossoneri "l'amore è…" questo. E per te
Buon #SanValentino!pic.twitter.com/PtqjcqIL9i— AC Milan (@acmilan) February 14, 2018
quickly followed by another engagement push celebrating Chinese New Year,
which included a surprise Chinese food experience for the squad.
Links:
Puma
https://twitter.com/pumafootball
https://eu.puma.com/uk/en/sports/football
https://www.instagram.com/puma/#
https://www.pinterest.co.uk/puma/
Ernia
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCecp3o_aRtjY0plecJTWAvw/featured
AC Milan
https://www.facebook.com/ACMilan
https://twitter.com/#!/acmilan
http://www.youtube.com/acmilan
https://it.linkedin.com/company/ac-milan
https://plus.google.com/104252218373239012017
