Puma relies on edgy collaborations to strengthen its lifestyle positioning

By

Olivier Guyot

Published
Sep 29, 2015

In 2014, Puma concentrated on sport, having announced that its relaunch would focus on sport performance. Puma thus loosened its purse strings and powered up in football, with English Premier League team Arsenal and Bundesliga's Dortmund. In addition, it featured the global 'Forever Faster' campaign. In 2015 the German brand continue in this vein but has also made the lifestyle segment a focus.

To this end, it created a lifestyle collection signed by Usain Bolt. However, perhaps even more representative of its investment in this ambition in its having joined forces with Rihanna.

However, the brand is also featuring several collaborations with alternative players and independent labels. In 2015 it presented joint initiatives with New York brand Aimé Leon Dore, with streetwear label Stampd, designer Vashtie, and the Alife and XLarge labels.

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This autumn, Puma unveiled its work with the very artsy British label Swash, founded by Sarah Swash and Toshio Yamanaka.

"Inspired by the Swash archives and suffused with a sporty, military vintage mood, the collection adds extraordinary prints to some reinvented Puma classics. It also relies on Puma's state-of-the-art technologies for a sophisticated, contemporary aesthetic,” a press release read.

For autumn-winter, Puma presented a collaboration with ICNY, Mike Cherman's New York label, featuring quirky cycling gear that subtly integrates reflective materials. The two brands thus delivered a collection combining shoes, jackets, trousers, sweatshirts and wind-breakers ideal for urban cycling. 

These collaborations clearly showcase Puma's lifestyle approach. On its website, Puma features primarily sporting or sport-related items, such as football kit replicas, parkas, etc. Its more fashion apparel is accessible through tabs taking you to the products created from these collaborations.