Shaw said Puma at this time is planning to bring a Cloud9 collection to market in SeptemberDAVID DUROCHIK
Executives from Puma and Cloud9 appeared on Day 2 of the ’19 Intersport Brand Engagement and Content Summit to talk about their new deal. After originally signing a short-term deal in January, the two companies just this week agreed to a much broader deal. Puma Head of Digital Marketing & Esports Matt Shaw said the new multiyear, eight-figure deal “puts us in a position to create a lot of really awesome, meaningful experiences and product that we’re excited to bring to market. That’s going to include fanwear ... for Cloud9 fans. That’s going to be a street-style based product and also performance-based product, so we’ll be making jerseys, as well.” Cloud9 Exec VP/Commercial Partnerships Jordan Udko said the deal is a way to “expand our presence beyond esports and to affect a broader culture.” Udko: “We’ve got fans globally. Certainly we’re a very strong presence in the United States, but everywhere from Northern Europe all the way down to Brazil. We feel like Puma could help us get a greater presence and gain greater fans, not just in esports.”
READY TO LAUNCH: Shaw said Puma generally operates on an 18-month design timeline, but is planning to bring a Cloud9 collection to market in September. “That’s going to be a relatively limited run,” he said. “It’ll be available on puma.com and on cloud9.gg, and there will be a couple of different styles.” After the limited collection in September and another product drop in the spring/summer of '20, Shaw said by late next year “we’ll be in our full sort of design swing.” Shaw: “Our ambition is very much to design apparel that will be distributed globally and to do so in relatively short order.”
