Source: PUMA names A$AP Rocky Creative Director for PUMA x F1 Partnership – PUMA CATch up
A$AP has some flawed sneaker collabs, but it wasn’t because he didn’t attempt to do something different. He didn’t rush into a sneaker deal with Nike, where success was more likely. He made an attempt to work with Under Armour, Vans and adidas.
Working with Under Armour wasn’t a natural alignment and to do so by creating a skate shoe Osiris copy made no sense at all. UA isn’t skate and UA isn’t sportstyle. Rocky got the bag, but there wasn’t anything lasting about that collaboration. Is there really any reason to believe Puma’s F1 and Motorsport series, which can be found in the Puma outlets will have any more success than UA x A$AP?
Easy answer: Puma is more culturally relevant than Under Armour. Puma’s legacy extends to the foundation of streetwear, Hip-Hop and basketball. It’s an older company with classic court silhouettes and cutting-edge design honed over years of working in various segments. The woman who saved Puma is his better half. Those are easy answers.
Easier answer: Last year saw the return of Need for Speed. Unbound dropped and I immediately got my disc and finished it in record time. Throughout the gameplay A$AP shows up at every nighttime takeover as an announcer, but it’s in longer races when your car has to be at the S level where Rocky gives you the most problems. His customized 190 E Benz is a dope 2 Face/Joker split color blocking with both performance and visual cues connecting his mantra to street racing culture (Always Strive and Prosper).
Rocky’s influence on the brand will be phased, most immediately taking on an incubator-style approach coined “in the lab” to begin creative exploration for where he can take the category. For the remainder of this year, Rocky will impact visuals and video content for the brand. His first campaign, which he has been working behind the scenes as both creative director and producer, explores car culture in America and the impact it has on streetwear and fashion.
Aligning with Puma Motorsports and F1 could be just the flavor needed to broaden the scope of F1 from a European, luxury sport and connect it to car culture opening the door to some considerable activations in Miami and other locations in the U.S. More than likely, this is really more of European play than something for the U.S., but with the recent success of the film Gran Turismo and Lewis Hamilton’s fame, Puma may have a winning combination.