Dive Brief:
- Puma has opened a new shop, though not in a mall or traditional retail space. The sportswear brand’s latest storefront is in Fortnite and will carry a rotating selection of virtual footwear inspired by popular shoe designs, the company said in a press release.
- The store concept, called Kicks, displays cosmetic items that are purchasable with V-Bucks, Fortnite’s in-game currency. Epic Games, Fortnite’s developer, will help curate availability to drive demand among gaming and Puma fans alike.
- New Kicks products will drop on an ongoing basis. The initial lineup includes two shoes based on Puma’s partnership with NBA point guard LaMelo Ball, an avid Fortnite player. Puma earlier this year debuted its largest marketing campaign to date and a new brand positioning.
Dive Insight:
Puma is in the midst of ramping up its marketing activity, to the tune of a 40% increase in media investment versus 2024. The Fortnite store concept demonstrates how the sportswear brand is evolving its positioning in ways that extend beyond traditional advertising, with video games seen as an important bridge to winning Gen Z consumers. Rather than a one-off activation, Kicks will change over time in partnership with Epic Games and as real-world sneaker releases generate hype that might translate to the online sphere.
“Dropping PUMA Kicks into Fortnite is a major milestone in growing our Digital Goods offerings” said Ivan Dashkov, head of emerging marketing technology at Puma, in a press statement. “We’re bringing our iconic style to one of the most creative, culture-shaping platforms in the world. It’s a new way for fans to connect with PUMA — through play, expression, and the culture that lives at the intersection of sport and gaming.”
A bigger presence in Fortnite could help Puma establish stronger brand affinity with the multiplayer game’s typically youth-skewing audience, with avatars now having the chance to sport virtual versions of in-demand footwear. For example, consumers who missed out on a recent sneaker collaboration between NBA star Ball and “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles” can use V-Bucks to acquire a digital iteration of the sold-out sneakers. “TMNT” content is currently popular on Fortnite, which led Epic Games to request the product be ported over in a signal of how the developer could lean on Puma to complement in-game trends and drive more transactions.
Other Kicks items at launch include Ball’s La France “Butterfly” colorway, Puma’s Suede XL model and a “Whisp of Pink” Speedcat variant that aims to appeal to the growing cohort of women gamers. The initial collection is available through 8 pm ET on July 4, with the pair of Ball sneakers offered as a bundle.
The announcement of Kicks follows Puma debuting “Go Wild,” its largest global campaign yet, in March. The effort has a humorous edge, with ads playing off of the idea of a runner’s high, and aims to differentiate from the performance-at-any-cost approach taken by rivals like Nike. Puma in April tapped Adidas veteran Arthur Hoeld as CEO to lead its turnaround, replacing Arne Freundt. Freundt, who enacted a major marketing reorganization at Puma during his tenure, departed due to “differing views on strategy execution,” the company said.
