As a part of its commitment to the women’s business, particularly in the sports segment in India, sportswear brand Puma India has named Harmanpreet Kaur, the captain of the Indian women’s cricket team, as its new brand ambassador. Harmanpreet was recruited as a result of an extremely original and fascinating social experiment that revealed the general attitude of the nation about gender perception in sports.
The company had asked viewers to guess who would be the next brand ambassador for PUMA in a teaser video that was posted on Saturday and showed a player assuming a position at the stumps. PUMA monitored customer remarks on Twitter, Instagram, its own shopping site, Puma.com, and physical stores.
Surprisingly, based on the 5000 responses received over a 36-hour period, 80% of consumers believed the brand ambassador to be a male cricketer.
In a game-changing video that was released earlier today, PUMA confirmed Harmanpreet as its new brand ambassador, shattering stereotypes and building a solid culture for women in cricket and all sports.
Always stay ahead of the times
“The way she plays — bold and fierce cricket – she is the perfect fit for our brand which embodies the same qualities and ethos. As a brand, Puma has always stayed ahead of the times and committed to support, celebrate and empower women in sports. This association is a massive step in that direction,” said Abhishek Ganguly, managing director, of PUMA India, and Southeast Asia.
“Harmanpreet is a sporting icon and, with this partnership, we hope to inspire younger generations and help Indian women’s cricket reach greater heights.”
Big Sports Star as Puma Brand Ambassadors
Along with Virat Kohli, KL Rahul, Kareena Kapoor Khan, Yuvraj Singh, Sunil Chhetri, and most recently, Harrdy Sandhu and Anushka Sharma, Kaur is now a member of Puma’s list of ambassadors. She became a member of the sports fraternity together with Usain Bolt, Neymar Jr., Sunil Chhetri, MC Mary Kom, Harleen Deol, and Avani Lekhara, a para-shooter.
I have been roped in as the face of Puma
“Not many know that I hit my first ODI century in 2013 in a pair of Puma boots that I received as a token of support in my early years by the brand. Exactly a decade now and I have been roped in as the face of Puma,” said Kaur who has the record of the fourth fastest women’s T20I hundred in the world and is also India’s only centurion in the women’s T20I.
“It’s heartening to see a brand such as Puma support the growth of Indian women’s cricket; it’s crucial for bolstering the progress. This is just the beginning and I am sure this association will encourage a lot of women who dream to make a career in cricket.”
Harmanpreet Kaur tweeted, “When I watched Jhulu di, Anjum di, Diana ma’am, they brought out the same passion and emotion in me as Sehwag sir, Yuvi pa, Virat and Raina pa. I have celebrated their victories equally, and cried in defeats equally. For me, cricket is not a gentleman’s game, it is EVERYONE’s game.”
Leadership position in India’s sports and lifestyle
Puma India solidified its dominance in the sports and lifestyle sector of the Indian economy in the fiscal year that ends in December 2021 by generating revenue of Rs 2044 crore. The company opened 51 new stores in 2021, bringing its current total of exclusive stores in India to 450.
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