Puma will be well represented in Charlotte at this weekend’s NBA All-Star Game.
Beginning Thursday, each day of the All-Star Weekend will be full of Puma activations to increase the brand’s presence in the basketball world, said Allison Giorgio, Puma vice president of marketing.
“We’re excited about it,” Giorgio said. “Our approach to Puma Hoops in general and the way we’re activating the brand is to look at all the aspects of basketball culture. We know basketball spans from music to community, to style to sport, to athletes and entertainers.
“When we got in the category, we looked at how we can contribute and be part of the conversation through the different lenses.”
To kick off the weekend Thursday, the brand focuses on the community by hosting a basketball clinic with trainer Chris Brickley. The clinic is not open to the public, but Giorgio said it’s a valuable piece of Puma’s activation strategy around the All-Star Game and the basketball community as a whole.
“We see the basketball community as an integral aspect of our overall strategy,” Giorgio said. “We like to give back to communities because we believe they contribute to the sport, and the opportunity at the All-Star Game is great, local and meaningful to the community.”
READ MORE: Puma Partnership Pushes The Basketball Tournament to New Heights
On Friday, multiple Puma athletes will take part in the Rising Stars Game, which is when the public gets its first live-action glimpse of the brand’s newest silhouette, the Uproar. The day will feature the SLAM x Baby Dunk Contest Powered by Puma Hoops at the Puma Palace.
Puma athletes in the skills competitions include Danny Green in the 3-Point Contest and Marvin Bagley, Kevin Knox and DeAndre Ayton in the Rising Stars Game. Giorgio said the brand’s sponsored athletes and entertainers will be around the activations all weekend.
“Our roster of athletes is unbelievable,” she said. “They’re active with the brand off the court — and their personal passions, we embrace and support them and interact as a Puma family. But they’re incredible on the court and provide validation as a product.”
On Saturday, Puma will release Uproar to the public, beginning with the Charlotte Uproar, honoring the All-Star Game host city. Multiple color concepts will follow in the future.
At the event Saturday, the Puma Hoops space will be converted into a skills competition and will host Puma athletes like Bagley and Ayton during the day.
“We know the weekend is a huge moment for the sport of basketball,” Giorgio said. “ As a brand, we want to be part of different cultural moments and authentic moments, and it’s a great and exciting opportunity to launch a hoops category.”
On Sunday, Puma will host a series of customizable opportunities and art installations at the Chinatown Market. The brand will also host a pre-show performance with Puma artist Meek Mill, fulling rounding out Puma’s full basketball culture takeover.
READ MORE: Nike Turns App Into Store With First SNKRS Pop-Up in Atlanta
The brand will also host the Uproar Closing Party after the game, featuring performances by Nipsey Hussle, G-Herbo and YBN Cordae.
“We have a robust calendar of events and opportunities for consumers to engage,” Giorgio said. “We want to continue to be part of the different cultural aspects in fun and surprising ways.”
JUST IN: @PUMAHoops signs multi-year deal with the NBA. Allows brand presence at main NBA events, to use endorsers in their NBA uniforms in advertising. pic.twitter.com/QZJgD4iN9N
— Darren Rovell (@darrenrovell) February 13, 2019
The All-Star Game provides a big event early in the year for Puma Hoops to showcase its prowess in the category, but Giorgio said there’s plenty more of announcements in the brand’s basketball portfolio coming down the pipeline.
“We have a really exciting calendar coming up the rest of the year,” she said. “You will see us activate again at the draft. We do have great products coming throughout the season, and we’ll continue to work with athletes and partners to be meaningful in the basketball world.”
