Rooted in self-expression and fuelled by the “runner’s high”, PUMA’s Go Wild campaign combines emotional storytelling, everyday athletes, and Gen Z insight.
It wouldn’t be a stretch to say that the sportswear industry is obsessed with perfection and peak performance, but with its latest campaign, PUMA is offering something refreshingly different: joy. With Go Wild, the German brand is stepping into a new era – one that favours emotional highs, personal expression and a deeper connection to the everyday athlete.
It could even be described as a full-scale repositioning of PUMA’s brand DNA and its most ambitious to date, with a 40% increase in advertising investment compared to 2024. In other words. the campaign marks a clear shift in direction: away from elite sports icons alone and toward a more expansive and inclusive celebration of sport as a joyful, collective experience.
“Greatness begins with the courage to be yourself,” says Richard Teyssier, global VP of brand and marketing at PUMA. “This philosophy has always guided PUMA, and it resonates more than ever with the younger generation.”
At the heart of this new chapter is Go Wild, a campaign that captures the raw, emotional energy of sport and reframes it as a source of individual empowerment and community connection.
Developed using insights from the brand’s largest-ever consumer research study, which spanned over 10,000 people globally, Go Wild taps into what PUMA sees as an untapped market space: the intersection where performance meets joy.
The campaign kicks off with a focus on running, positioning it not as a grind or discipline but as a source of the elusive “runner’s high.” The launch film is a cinematic tribute to everyday athletes: early risers pounding the pavement, new mums jogging with strollers, and dogs bounding alongside their owners. There are no celebrity cameos or elite sponsorships, just real people chasing the high of movement and the freedom it brings.
“We started with the consumer insight that running will give you a rush like nothing else. This means that no matter how hard it is, you will never regret a run,” says Julie Legrand, PUMA’s Senior Director of Global Brand Strategy and Communications.
This tonal shift is deliberate. The campaign avoids the tired tropes of grit and hustle in favour of exuberance and spontaneity—what PUMA calls “unleashing your wild energy.” The brand wants to be known as the label that champions sport not as sacrifice but as joy.
Visually and emotionally, Go Wild seeks to break the mould. The hero film has light surrealism, as runners morph into animals mid-stride, channelling the primal energy that sport awakens. It’s playful but powerful—exactly the kind of tone Gen Z gravitates toward—and judging by early results, the approach is working. The ad is already ranking in the top 5% for effectiveness in key markets like the US, China, and Germany and in the top 25% globally.
The campaign will evolve across 2025 and 2026, with tailored rollouts in basketball, football and other core categories, each aligned with major global sporting events. “While running is the initial focus, the overarching narrative of inspiring our global audience to unleash their true selves will run through all of our campaigns going forward,” says Teyssier.
Part of what makes Go Wild stand out is its ability to reflect wider cultural shifts. In an era where young people are pushing back against hustle culture, perfectionism and performative wellness, PUMA’s campaign strikes a timely chord. Rather than glorifying discipline and sacrifice, Go Wild positions sport as a way to experience freedom, emotion, and connection.
The brand’s ambassadors—from Tommie Smith’s historic raised fist in 1968 to Usain Bolt’s explosive joy in 2008—have always been larger-than-life symbols of self-expression. Go Wild carries that legacy forward with a new generation of athletes and audiences who are just as interested in meaning and identity as they are in speed and stats.
The campaign is also supported by a wide-ranging media strategy—spanning digital, social, OOH, PR, retail, and talent-led activations. PUMA plans to use Go Wild as a platform for storytelling through its ambassadors and wider brand community, celebrating those who know what it means to “go wild” in sport, life, and everything in between.
The shift is as strategic as it is emotional. “Our success will go beyond just sales impact,” says Teyssier. “We aim to redefine the game, to elevate the global perception of PUMA and our evolved brand DNA. Building an emotional connection with our audience is the ultimate goal.”
