Puma conducts World Cup street promotion in Toronto
By Adnews Staff
Athletic shoe company Puma recently conducted a street campaign in Toronto tied to the brand's sponsorship of the Italian national football team. In the days leading up to the team's qualifying game against Ireland on Oct. 10, promotional workers dressed as referees distributed mock "yellow card" citations to pedestrians for offenses such as "ugly shoes" and "jay walking." On the day of the game, promotional workers conducted a life-sized game of foosball at the intersection of College and Clinton Streets, in the city's Little Italy neighbourhood. "We knew that the game would be exciting, so we wanted to create a guerilla campaign that would really hype the event and get people to come down and cheer on the Azzurri," said Shelia Roberts, marketing director at Puma Canada. "It was a great afternoon and the atmosphere was electric." The promotion, developed by Zulu Alpha Kilo of Toronto, is part of a larger marketing initiative tied to Italy's ongoing defense of its World Cup title.