Puma Count P's. But At What Cost

Um, seeing as my politics game is kinda weak I should point out that I actually got this fourth-hand. Maybe fifth. Who knows. Anyway, my good pal Holly Howe directed me to Neil Boorman (bonfireofthebrands.blogspot.com) who directed me to the equally excellent afflictedyard (afflictedyard.typepad.com) who themselves nicked (their words, not mine) this off FIRST MAGAZINE No.4. So this info is passed on info, but it's still important to read. I think.

And anyway, fuck these corporations. Right now Tesco make ONE pound out of every EIGHT spent in this country yet they can barely wait to phase out real, live people working within their stores (I gotta say, their self-pay till game is strong) in a bid to make yet more cash. Bearing in mind once again the vast, huge profits they make, it sucks hard that they have one of the worst records of employee care (Waitrose is the best. They give staff shares and shit). I feel like, man, it's time the people took a stand against these corps. Working at RWD I've seen first hand the way certain (not all, not all) corporate brands rape youth culture without giving a single red cent in return.


The figures below regard Puma's Jamaica campaign. You know, the one where they turned and ran the moment the sticky issue of homophobia popped out. Damn, maybe their trainer game is strong after all, cos they sprinted out of JA so fast, no one saw them move.

Some Stats....

48 per cent – Jump in net quarterly profits for July 2004 – US$67 million, up from US$45.1 million July 2003. This was largely attributed to Puma's Jamaica campaign. *

23 – People who admitted wearing Puma trainers in 2002, one year before Jamaican colours, flags and slogans were slapped all over them.

355 – Number of times Puma brand manager Helen Sweeney-Dougan promised various Dancehall DJ’s that wearing Puma would give them better “international crossover appeal” and “visibility in magazines that wouldn’t touch them otherwise”.

2000 – Approximate number of guests at Puma’s much-hyped red carpet event held at Kingston’s Terra Nova hotel in 2003.

2 – Number of seconds it took Helen Sweeney-Dougan to storm off after being asked by Entertainment Report at the party if Puma had actually invested anything in Jamaica besides a few free trainers and wristbands.

£? – Cost of the ‘Rasta tam’ worn by Puma designer Paul Taylor as he told a Channel 4 film crew that Jamaica was a “fun country whose culture, music and religion” was great for selling shoes. **

0 – Number of basketball courts (or anything) built by Puma in Jamaica before, during or after their 2003 invasion.

15 to 20 – Number of years that Puma promised, “Jamaicans would be proud” following their involvement with Puma at the 2004 Athens Olympics.

20,000 – Number of guests Puma promised to deliver at their Jamaica-themed Athens party.

350 – Approximate number of guests who showed up.

"I can't envisage another opportuinity like this for Jamaica to sell itself on a global stage." -- Terry Parris, Puma Jamaica Brand Manager


* American City Business Journals Inc (July 27, 2004).
** ‘Trainers, Reggae and the Olympics’ (Documentary shown on Channel 4, November 2004).

ARTICLE STOLEN from FIRST MAGAZINE No.4