Under an expanded partnership with esports company Gen.G worldwide, Puma will become the official jersey of Gen.G’s global pro teams and creators.
In South Korea, the Puma brand will be the official jersey of Gen.G’s global pro teams and creators, and included in the deal are the Gen.G Valorant players and creators in North America, the esports firm said in a statement.
The companies first collaborated in June 2020 for a jersey launched for Gen.G’s PUBG and League of Legends teams, both based in Seoul, Korea.
In October 2020, Puma & Gen.G launched a limited-edition jersey for the 2020 League of Legends World Championship. The Gen.G’s League of Legends Champions Korea (LCK) team wore the jerseys, which featured artwork designed by Heron Preston, Gen.G executive brand advisor.
“Over the last year, Puma has been an incredible brand partner,” said Gina Chung Lee, chief marketing officer of Gen.G, in a statement. “We are thrilled to expand globally — from their support of our LCK team to their partnership in initiatives like our Gen.G Foundation, we are proud to continue the story with our creators and teams in North America.”
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Esports has been a growing opportunity in recent years for Puma and other athletic and fashion brands.
In October 2019, Puma and Los Angeles-based esports group Cloud9 revealed the first edition of their clothing line for gamers. Earlier that year, the firms had announced a multiyear partnership allowing Puma to provide official game-day gear for league players.
A few years ago, K-Swiss teamed up with e-sports organization Immortals Gaming Club to launch a sneaker — purportedly the first signature shoe for a professional gaming team — that was designed specifically for esports players. And around the same time Adidas joined forces with North, while Champion debuted its first esports collection in partnership with Ntwrk.
Separately, in July 2019, Nike banded with Brazil-based Furia, in addition to its existing sponsorship deal with TJ Sports, wherein the League of Legends Pro League team competes exclusively in Nike apparel until 2022.
And this weekend, starting July 24, Esports Fashion Group will present the first Esports Fashion Week, a virtual event airing on YouTube that will feature new apparel designs from H4X, We Are Nations, XSET and September Doves.
