Shoe Blog Brand Stewardship Blog: Article

Given that Puma's new Bolt-endorsed line of running shoes doesn't really contain any groundbreaking innovations, either, it seems like simply more of the same rather than anything fresh and exciting.

Puma is reaching out to a different market than Nike, it is understood, and Usain Bolt simply does not have the same celebrity status or marketing clout as Michael Jordan. The relationship itself, however, just seems lackluster compared to the long-running Air-Jordan campaign and to other efforts made by other companies in the securing of endorsements and engaging in product-specific celebrity alignments. A rather basic looking running shoe blandly supported by a world-class runner -- the balance isn't there, and neither is they hype. There is more excitement brewed by the new comfort-oriented shoes being released by Asics than there is when it comes to Bolt's purported choice in footwear.

Other celebrity associations with footwear have been more successful, likely because they used people that were more media friendly and actually combined elements of style and innovation into their products. Converse's recent deal with music artists the Gorillaz, Andre 2000, and James Murphy, who released a collaborative song for free download as a part of this campaign, has helped to generate buzz for this iconic brand that is constantly updating its look while retaining its basic structure.The deal and the brand still don't have the flair or the draw that Air Jordans are able to command, but they're miles ahead of Puma and Bolt.

Celebrity endorsements won't be disappearing any time soon, but they also often don't appear to be actually going anywhere.

References

Biography.com. (2012). micahel Jordan. Accessed 4 April 2012. http://www.biography.com/people/michael-jordan-9358066

Manifested Marketing. Converse Shoes -- Celebrity Endorsement of CSR? Accessed 4 April 2012. http://manifestedmarketing.com/2012/02/27/coverse-shoes-celebrity-endorsement-or-csr/

Nike. (2012). History of Flight. Accessed 4 April 2012. http://www.nike.com/jumpman23/historyofflight/

SneakerFiles. (2012). Celebrity Shoe Sightings. Accessed 4 April 2012. http://www.sneakerfiles.com/2009/04/13/celebrity-shoe-sightings-air-jordan-edition/

WSA Today. (2012). Puma Renews Deal With Usain Bolt. http://www.wsatoday.com//industry-news/industry-news/puma-renews-deal-with-usain-bolt.html

WSA Today. (2012). Consumer report chooses Ascis. Accessed 4 April 2012.

http://www.wsatoday.com//industry-news/industry-news/consumer-reports-chooses-asics.html.....