puma hoops launch
[AGENCY]
Nowadays Creative
[CLIENT]
PUMA Hoops
[SERVICES]
Lead Social Strategist
Lead Copywriter
Creative Contributions
[YEAR]
2018-2022
[THE TASK]
HOW DO WE put PUMA back at the center of basketball conversation, culture, creativity (and even controversy) AFTER A 20-YEAR ABSENCE?
[context]
PUMA’s basketball vertical had been dead for 20 years.
Change was happening faster everyday in basketball. New talent, new ideas, new kids running at the speed of culture. Instead of trying to reign them into our world, we caught up to theirs.
To bring it back to life we did what no one else could: we became basketball's anti-establishment brand.
My job was to define what this meant on social, and then spearhead it.
[STRATEGY]
Even as PUMA, we faced major challenges as the new kids on the block.
The competition was fierce—Nike, Adidas, and rising challengers were already deeply established. On top of that, the social media landscape was controlled by fans.
Instead of seeing these as challenges, I reframed them as opportunities—to redefine what it truly meant to be anti-establishment on social.
I developed a set of strategic “filters” to shape everything—from content to channel roles—ensuring every move had purpose and impact.
THE CHALLENGES
Competitors owned the performance space, focusing heavily on on-court moments.
OUR APPROACH TO BREAK-THROUGH
Nike and Adidas had massive production budgets—PUMA didn’t.
We were starting from zero—no followers, no credibility, brand new to the game.
We were up against the hyper speed of the feed, and a space owned by the fans, not the brands.
Create content that extended beyond the game clock, tapping into lifestyle, streetwear, and basketball culture.
We embraced a scrappy, lo-fi, and meme-driven approach—bootleg aesthetics, DIY energy, and internet humor made our content raw, real, and hyper-shareable.
With nothing to lose, we broke the rules—taking risks, defying best practices, and creating headline-worthy moments with bold stunts and culture-first content.
We ditched brand-speak for real talk—moving fast, collaborating authentically, and creating unpolished, fan-first content that felt as real as our audience.
UNCONVENTIONAL BRIEFS
I crafted unconventional briefs that pushed the limits of social creativity. Some were hyper-specific, like generating buzz for Uproar Spectra using 100 Instagram Stories.
I challenge my creative team to break best practices, creating a fun experience to keep audiences engaged.
SOCIAL-FIRST CONCEPTS
I concepted social ideas for shoe drops, campaigns, and cultural moments—making sure each one grabbed attention in the feed.
From smashing a gingerbread house in an oddly satisfying video to blending PUMA hate tweets into 'Haterade,' snapping TV NBA footage as content, and tapping into memes and TikTok transitions—I contributed to the noise in unexpected ways.
POST CAPTIONS AND FAN INTERACTIONS
I crafted copy and fan interactions that felt raw, unfiltered, and tapped into culture in real time.
No boilerplate responses—just sharp, in-the-know engagement that spoke the way our audience did.
And whenever I could, I stirred buzz, created intrigue, and led fans down rabbit holes to drive conversation.
POST
CAPTIONS:
AN UNLIKELY WAY TO ANNOUNCE A NEW PUMA ATHLETE
PUMA was shaking up the NBA, signing top draft picks so fast it became a running joke. But we didn’t just announce signings—we made them moments.
With Kevin Knox, I sparked speculation, dropping subtle clues and letting the internet do the rest.
Instead of forcing the narrative, I let fans and media run wild, fueling debates and amplifying the hype.
By choosing the right platform (Twitter), the story spread organically, keeping PUMA at the heart of the basketball conversation.
The result? memes, headlines, and a fresh playbook for athlete signings—PUMA wasn’t just signing rookies; we were redefining the game.
[why it worked]
This strategy worked because it rejected the polished, predictable playbook that dominated sports marketing.
By leaning into irreverence, meme culture, and bootleg-style content, PUMA Hoops felt raw, authentic, and tapped directly into the NBA fan mindset. Instead of just announcing signings, we created conversations, letting speculation and internet sleuthing drive the hype.
This fan-first, culture-driven approach not only kept PUMA in the mix but made it feel like an insider, shifting how brands engage with basketball culture.
350k+
INSTAGRAM FOLLOWERS OVER THREE YEARS
3.8%
IG ER vs. 1.53% COMPETITORS
7%
MoM INSTAGRAM FOLLOWER GROWTH
1.95%
TW ER vs. 0.09% COMPETITORS
[SUPPORTING TEAM]
Stefan Knecht (Creative Director)
Kristen Selasky (Account Director)
David Kramer (Designer)
Alex Junquera (Designer)
Ali Lee (Designer)
Eric Collins (Partner)