Launching a Historic Signature Shoe
Challenge
Create and execute a disruptive roll out plan for a historic basketball launch with PUMA as the global sports brand unveiled the Stewie 1, Breanna Stewart's debut signature sneaker and the first women's basketball signature sneaker in over a decade.
Action
In 2022, Berk worked with long-time client, global sports brand PUMA to unveil the first women’s signature basketball shoe in over a decade - the Stewie 1 - with WNBA star and PUMA Hoops athlete, Breanna Stewart.
Leading into the announcement, the PR team put together a strategic communications plan on how the brand can work to engage with media at the local and national level, sustain momentum with in-person events and tell in-depth storytelling across a variety of sectors that reflect the groundbreaking moment.
In tandem with the 2022 WNBA All-Star, where Stewart was a team captain, Berk announced the launch of the Stewie 1 signature shoe and the significance of the moment. To run in tandem of the announcement, the team coordinated five national embargo interviews from a target list of media from sectors including sports, business, lifestyle and news to match the historic nature of the launch.
Continuing to utilize PUMA’s footprint at All-Star, the team engaged with notable media in the sports space to amplify the significance by having a select few attend a private friends & family dinner celebrating the Stewie 1 alongside Breanna Stewart, as well as invited media to the private Stewie 1 gifting suite to continue building momentum and buzz around the shoe.
The experiences on-site continued to show PUMA’s investment and interest in its women’s Hoops business. Coverage proved that to be true as it was focused on not just the shoe itself, but also the significance of the moment in sports, notably women’s sports, as well as positioned PUMA as a leader amongst brands in the women’s basketball space.
Additionally, the team was able to build off that announcement and in September announced the official release date for the Stewie 1. Berk hosted an in-person wear-test event in NYC on behalf of PUMA for media to try the shoe and create exclusive content leading into the in-store date. In coordination, Stewart was able to discuss how the moment was truly here in interviews with two national outlets, including a TV broadcast interview live on NBA Today.
Impact
450+ combined placements on the unveil and ultimate release, including editorial, social and broadcast
7 interviews coordinated and executed with Breanna Stewart and top-tier media for deeper storytelling
Over 1.5 billion editorial placements and over 70.3 million followers reached on social media from earned media placements
