Puma has released a new digital film featuring brand ambassadors like Virat Kohli, MC Mary Kom, Sunil Chhetri, and others, as well as everyday athletes. The film aims to promote sports culture and encourage people to view it as an essential part of their overall development.
Created by the creative geniuses at Ogilvy & Mather India, this 90-second film is on a mission to call out the archetypal notion that sports are just an extra-curricular activity. It’s time to shake things up and advocate for the increased adoption of sports culture to foster the overall development of the nation.
The agenda of this ad carries very vitally important. It’s unfortunate that many people still see sports as just an extra-curricular activity and not as something that can teach valuable life lessons. Sports can teach you important skills such as teamwork, discipline, perseverance, and leadership, which can be applied not just on the field but also in everyday life. For instance, the discipline and focus required to excel in a sport can be useful in academics, while teamwork skills learned on the field can help in professional settings.
Puma India collaborated with research and analytics firm Nielsen Sports to conduct a survey, which led to the launch of this initiative. The PUMA-Nielsen sports survey included 4280 participants aged between 18 to 65 years, including parents of children aged 6-18, from 16 different cities.
The survey conducted by Puma India and Nielsen Sports revealed insights that suggest a significant lack of motivation in the country to pursue physical fitness, despite the growing adoption of sports culture in India. The study aimed to investigate the perception and level of participation in sports and fitness activities among both adults and children in the nation.
Report says:
- Over the last year, 68% of adults living in urban areas of India reported participating in fitness-related activities.
- Only 20% of urban adults in India meet the WHO’s recommended minimum of 150-300 minutes of physical exercise per week.
- On average, Indian children spend only 86 minutes per week on fitness-related activities, which is lower than the average of 101 minutes per week spent by adults.
- Children in the eastern region of India spend the most time on sports and fitness activities, with an average of 125 minutes per week, while those in the west spend the least, with an average of 68 minutes per week.
- There is a direct correlation between high levels of sports participation among children and improved academic performance.
- Among adults who reported exercising in the last year, more females (42%) than males (36%) participated in sports and fitness activities on a daily basis.
- Adults who engage in sports and fitness activities exhibit 21% more positive emotions than those who do not.
- Yoga (37%), jogging (29%), running (28%), and cricket (28%) were the most commonly participated in sports and fitness-related activities by adults over the last year.
- 54% of adults prefer self-guided workouts since the pandemic.
The report, which is a part of PUMA’s initiative “Let There Be Sport,” has uncovered startling findings and served as a catalyst for the leading sports brand in the country to take charge and advocate for the prioritization of sports and fitness in India.
Puma has launched several other advertisements featuring the same hashtag on their social media platform, and the audience has shown a positive response to the initiative.
Abhishek Ganguly, Managing Director, PUMA India and Southeast Asia said, “As a nation, we have witnessed a fundamental change in adoption of sports culture with far more running communities, gyms and people taking up different sports. However, we have just scratched the surface and have miles to go. The PUMA – Nielsen Sport study proves that there are still significant areas for development. The study indicates the growing need to create awareness and inspiration among adults and kids to play more sport as well as illustrates the myriad ways in which sport adds value to life. There is a direct correlation between sports participation in kids and improved academic performance and positive emotional wellbeing. A strong sports culture brings out the best in people and is critical for the development of a country.”
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Ganguly added “Puma’s new platform, Let There Be Sport, will be our priority this year. It will promote and encourage sport and fitness as a life skill. We will heavily invest in creating awareness towards sports adoption at a mass level, build more moments of inspiration, continue to support grassroot athletes and work closely with key stakeholders across sectors to integrate sports and fitness into the main curriculum. In five years, we are confident that a sports-focussed survey will yield better insights in India,”
Denise Menasan, Managing Director for APAC and MENA at Nielsen Sports and Entertainment, said, “A study was commissioned by Puma India to help understand the views of sports in India and how sports and physical activity impacts other aspects of our life, such as emotional wellbeing, academics and employability. While there have been multiple initiatives to boost fitness-related activities, our study indicates that more needs to be done in this space. The study highlights that an increase in sports and fitness activities can help enhance overall emotional wellbeing amongst adults, help learn valuable life skills and increase academic grades of kids. We hope this campaign from Puma India inspires people to become more physically active in their day-to-day activities and equips government agencies with data to frame new policies.”
The revolutionary report produced by Nielson Sports, in collaboration with PUMA, is set to make a significant impact on the sports industry by providing a comprehensive and concise overview of the sporting landscape. This partnership demonstrates a commitment to the growth and development of sports in the country.
Denise Menasan, Managing Director for APAC & MENA at Nielsen Sports & Entertainment, said, “A study was commissioned by PUMA India to help understand the views of sports in India and how sports & physical activity impacts other aspects of our life, such as emotional wellbeing, academics and employability. While there have been multiple initiatives to boost fitness-related activities, our study indicates that more needs to be done in this space. The study highlights that an increase in sports and fitness activities can help enhance overall emotional wellbeing amongst adults, help learn valuable life skills and increase academic grades of kids. We hope this campaign from PUMA India inspires people to become more physically active in their day-to-day activities and equips government agencies with data to frame new policies.”
PUMA is doing its part in fueling the rise of sports culture in the country, and this report is like a turbo-boost to help the brand achieve its goal of making India fit and fabulously sports-friendly.
