PUMA and Gloo have teamed up to launch a digitally enabled gaming experience that
provided PUMA’s audience with an innovative way to get social and stay connected.
“In a market that is fiercely contested by some of the world’s biggest lifestyle
brands, PUMA needed a new angle to cut through the clutter and connect with an
audience that is typically difficult to engage,’ says Matthew Rudd, head of Client
Service at Gloo. “To meet this challenge, we designed and developed PUMA Pixel
Pong, a bespoke digital version of ping pong where phones substituted bats and the
court became any table surface we could project the game onto.’
Launched at the PUMA Social Club in Braamfontein, Johannesburg, PUMA After Hours
Athletes were invited to sign up for Pixel Pong via their Twitter accounts and
download the app onto their mobile phones.
Brett Bellinger, PUMA marketing director, comments, “Everyone visiting the club has
played the ‘analogue’ version of the game. The new digital format and ability to play
with one’s phone upped the ante and closely associated PUMA with tech innovation.
For PUMA, it is important to challenge, excite and play in this realm and PUMA Pixel
Pong does exactly that. The game also successfully drove interest and excitement in
our latest product range.’
Pete Case from Gloo continues, “Mobile phones have become one of the most prolific
consumer devices in our connected world and are an integral part of the young,
digitally savvy South African’s social currency. With Pixel Pong, we encouraged
players to share their Twitter handles and created a new way for them to connect
using their phones.’
During the event, a ping pong surface was projected onto an existing table within
the PUMA Social Club and by using the app, players were able to connect their
phones to a concealed computer via a Wi-Fi connection in the club. This turned the
phone into a ping pong bat that could hit a virtual 3D ball back and forth across the
table surface. The added use of sound and animation brought this environment to
life.
Every win then became a tweet and a score on the leader board and every victory
was an opportunity to meet a new challenger and gain a new Twitter follower.
Players were presented with their final score as each game ended and were then
able to explore PUMA’s latest gear.
In addition, each player, regardless of whether they had won or lost their game,
received a mobile discount voucher within the app as soon as they shared a post on
their favourite social media channel. This in turn drove them into the store to redeem
their discount and explore the world of PUMA.
The project won a Silver award for its technical innovation at this year’s Bookmarks
Awards, which recognise the best digital marketing work across South Africa.
Gloo is now in its 7th year of agency relationship with PUMA and is the only South
African digital agency accredited to work on the international brand.
