byLarry Eder
Usain Bolt, the mayor of Berlin, August 15-23, 2009, photo by PhotoRun.net.
For nine days in August, the city of Berlin had a new mayor; Usain Bolt. Usain Bolt, for those nine days, with his world records at 100 meters (9.58), 200 meters (19.19) and his third leg on the gold medal winning 4 x 100 meter relay, enthralled the city’s media, Eurosport and the fans who came to the Berlin Olympic stadium.
His antics are bringing new fans to the sport, especially younger fans and sports fans, not inclined to watch athletics. At 6-4, Usain towers over the competition and when he opens his stride, the fans go nuts. Tyson Gay’s silver medal in the 100 meters, which gave Tyson the new AR of 9.71m for 100 meters, is the closest anyone has gotten to Usain Bolt in a global championship!
So, it should not be surprising to anyone that PUMA, his sponsor, is enjoying some benefits from sponsoring Bolt since he was a 16. At 23, Usain Bolt is running well, and products tied to him, should do well. According to PUMA chairman Jochim Zeitz, PUMA’s Usain Bolt product is sold out!
Watch for a Usain Bolt poster in limited supply and a new print and web campaign on the Running Network in September. Details to come on that!
Usain Bolt Boosts Puma
Posted: 8/25/2009
Source: http://www.sportsonesource.com/
Is my hair okay? Usain Bolt, August 15, 2009, photo by PhotoRun.net.
The record-breaking wins by Usain Bolt at last week’s track and field world championships in Berlin has been a boon for Puma. Speaking to Bloomberg News, Chief Executive Officer Jochen Zeitz said, “The products we have created for the world championships are sold out.”
They include a special Jamaica collection, his spikes worn in Berlin and a lifestyle-version of the shoes minus the spikes, Zeitz said. He declined to give a sales forecast. Puma has sponsored Bolt, 23, since he was 16.
Bolt on August 20 broke his own world record in the 200 meters in 19.19 seconds in Berlin. It was his second world mark of the meet, after he topped his own 100-meter standard in 9.58 seconds five days ago in the Olympic stadium.
PUMA Yaam, Usain Bolt’s sprint spike, courtesy of PUMA communications.
In its own statement, Puma celebrated Bolt’s success. Puma was the sponsor of the Jamaican track & field team at the World Athletics Championships 2009 in Berlin.
“Usain Bolt wrote again sports history at the World Athletics Championships in Berlin when he shattered his own two world records in amazing times and went home with three world championship titles,” said Zeitz. “We are thrilled to have been Usain’s partner since he was 16 and congratulate him on his incredible success. He pushed the limits of speed and power and stepped into Jesse Owens footsteps who became a legend at the Olympic Games in the same stadium in 1936. Through the enormous brand visibility, that has an estimated media value of several hundreds of millions of US Dollars, PUMA clearly strengthened and further expanded its position as one of the leading running brands.”
“Berlin has been so welcoming to me and to the entire Jamaican team,” said Bolt on the closing day of the 12th IAAF World Championship. “What an experience to come here, the place where barriers were broken by Jesse Owens in the 1936 Olympics and be able to set new world records. Winning the 4 x 100 on Saturday night as a team was the perfect way to end this race week. Thanks to all of Berlin, the fans worldwide and my sponsor PUMA who have supported us.”
PUMA’s activities around the World Championships were accompanied by the global PUMA marketing campaign “Who faster?” which included several marketing initiatives focussing on in store and viral marketing.
On August 23rd, at the conclusion of the World Championships, the city of Berlin said “Thanks” to Usain when the capital’s mayor Klaus Wowereit, handed over an original piece of the Berlin Wall 20 years after its fall to the fastest man on earth. The unique souvenir has a height of about 3.60 meters and a width of 1.20 meters and weighs 2.7 tons. It was designed exclusively for Usain Bolt and the front displays him on his way to break the 100 m world record on the legendary blue of the Berlin tracks.
Other teams that PUMA sponsored at the World Athletics Championships were Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Uganda, Botswana and the Czech Republic.
The record-breaking wins by Usain Bolt at last week’s track and field world championships in Berlin has been a boon for Puma. Speaking to Bloomberg News, Chief Executive Officer Jochen Zeitz said, “The products we have created for the world championships are sold out.”
They include a special Jamaica collection, his spikes worn in Berlin and a lifestyle-version of the shoes minus the spikes, Zeitz said. He declined to give a sales forecast. Puma has sponsored Bolt, 23, since he was 16.
Bolt on August 20 broke his own world record in the 200 meters in 19.19 seconds in Berlin. It was his second world mark of the meet, after he topped his own 100-meter standard in 9.58 seconds five days ago in the Olympic stadium.
In its own statement, Puma celebrated Bolt’s success. Puma was the sponsor of the Jamaican track & field team at the World Athletics Championships 2009 in Berlin.
“Usain Bolt wrote again sports history at the World Athletics Championships in Berlin when he shattered his own two world records in amazing times and went home with three world championship titles,” said Zeitz. “We are thrilled to have been Usain’s partner since he was 16 and congratulate him on his incredible success. He pushed the limits of speed and power and stepped into Jesse Owens footsteps who became a legend at the Olympic Games in the same stadium in 1936. Through the enormous brand visibility, that has an estimated media value of several hundreds of millions of US Dollars, PUMA clearly strengthened and further expanded its position as one of the leading running brands.”
“Berlin has been so welcoming to me and to the entire Jamaican team,” said Bolt on the closing day of the 12th IAAF World Championship. “What an experience to come here, the place where barriers were broken by Jesse Owens in the 1936 Olympics and be able to set new world records. Winning the 4 x 100 on Saturday night as a team was the perfect way to end this race week. Thanks to all of Berlin, the fans worldwide and my sponsor PUMA who have supported us.”
PUMA’s activities around the World Championships were accompanied by the global PUMA marketing campaign “Who faster?” which included several marketing initiatives focussing on in store and viral marketing.
On August 23rd, at the conclusion of the World Championships, the city of Berlin said “Thanks” to Usain when the capital’s mayor Klaus Wowereit, handed over an original piece of the Berlin Wall 20 years after its fall to the fastest man on earth. The unique souvenir has a height of about 3.60 meters and a width of 1.20 meters and weighs 2.7 tons. It was designed exclusively for Usain Bolt and the front displays him on his way to break the 100 m world record on the legendary blue of the Berlin tracks.
Other teams that PUMA sponsored at the World Athletics Championships were Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Uganda, Botswana and the Czech Republic.
For more on PUMA, please check http://www.puma.com
For more on Sports Source One Media, please check http://www.sportsonesource.com/
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