"In JWT, we have found an agile agency with a global reach that
understands the Puma brand and culture," said Björn Gulden,
CEO of Puma. "The team quickly proved that they could deliver on
our new mission to become the Fastest Sports Brand in the World.
Together we'll craft a more nimble creative structure that will
allow us to support all of the company's sporting and lifestyle
categories with a single consumer message and streamlined creative
concept across territories."
Puma is the latest in a string of new business wins for JWT New
York in the last three months, which includes a consolidation of
Energizer brands and a creative assignment
from Google.
Just last month, JWT announced that McCann WorldGroup's Gustavo Martinez as the
agency's global president and future successor to Worldwide
Chairman and CEO Bob Jeffrey. Other recent executive changes
include Peter Sherman, who was named CEO of JWT New York in June;
and Emilie Vasu, who was named director of business development for
JWT New York earlier this year. Both Mr. Sherman and Ms. Vasu
played key roles in the Puma win.
"Puma is more than an advertising relationship for us; it's a
true brand and business partnership," said Mr. Sherman in a
statement.
Stateside, Puma is not a hefty measured-media spender. In 2012,
it spent just $4.8 million on U.S. measured media, according to
Kantar Media. But the brand in recent years has stepped up
marketing in other non-measurable forms, including a significant
in-store push in 2010 that involved a
customization platform on the iPad just shortly after the tablets
came to market.