[At BAKER, we’re passionate about branding – not just the brands we have the privilege of working on – but all sorts of brands that we engage with on a daily basis. In ‘Brands We Love’ one of our infatuated brand stewards takes a deeper look at one of the brands he is passionate about; examining what the brand means to him and why.]
PUMA
By Nick Hoople
Lately, I’ve been noticing some interesting things coming from PUMA. To be honest, I’m not really sure why a sportswear company drew my attention so easily — I’m not exactly their target audience. I wouldn’t call myself an athlete, and I rarely buy anything you could call “sporty”. But PUMA has all the elements of a memorable brand essence and it has global appeal. While I’ve always liked the look of their shoes and apparel, what has really attracted me lately is the bold approach they’ve taken to other brand elements like their storefronts, packaging, and ads. It all adds up to create an engaging experience that deserves some notice.
Founded in 1948, PUMA labels itself as a sportlifestyle company that designs and develops footwear, apparel and accessories. Its shoes and clothes are most popular in the realms of soccer and running, but their product line branches out well beyond that into fashion and several other sports. Recent offerings include a bike made for urban areas with a clever folding design (see below) and a partnership with Ferrari and Ducati to create a new line of shoes. The pairing of the sleek design of the PUMA sneaker perfectly compliments the bold confidence and elite performance associated with Italian motorsports.
The company created the PUMAVision department to focus on sustainability practices and outreach to social causes and artistic communities. Its headquarters are housed in a carbon neutral building, and is not simply a side project, but a division that guides all of the company’s decisions and actions. A product of this thinking is the recently introduced “Clever Little Bag”, a reusable bag that replaces the old shoe box. Designed by Swiss industrial designer Yves Béhar, the shoe bag is made of recycled plastic that encases a single sheet of recycled cardboard. The new packaging is successful at reducing paper usage by up to 65% and cutting manufacturing waste by 60%. It also happens to be stylish and unique to the shoe aisle. Another ground-breaking initiative was the creation of the mobile store constructed from 24 shipping containers. Dubbed “Puma City”, the 11,000 square foot prefab building was designed to be easily assembled and makes various stops around the world via Puma’s sail boats. Both of these endeavors demonstrate a push to break out of the norm and try exciting new ideas.
Along with the recent innovations are the core brand elements that have largely gone unchanged (and have held up quite well) since the 1960’s. I love the striking look of the PUMA logo backed by a vivid field of red. Additionally, the logo is multi-functional. The size, background and color of the logo can be modified or used for different purposes without altering its integrity. It creates an iconic presence that is reliable and classic, while maintaining a bold and youthful edge. As a designer, I appreciate how they’ve managed to leverage these strong elements throughout all aspects of their branding.
I admire what PUMA has accomplished and look forward to seeing what they come up with in the future. It has the right combination of desirable products, powerful branding and lofty ideas to be considered a “Brand I Love”.
Kudos!
Nick Hoople
Photos courtesy of:
