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On International Women’s Day, Monday, March 8^th, 2010, and to celebrate PUMA’s strong ties with Africa, PUMA, Germany hosted a screening of the film “Desert Flower.” The film is based on Waris Dirie’s bestselling novel of the same name and talks about the life of the international supermodel, who made it from Africa’s desert to catwalks in the world’s most fashionable capitals. Published in 1998 the book has been translated into Dutch, German, French, Italian, Greek, Swedish, Slovene and Croatian. 

The film was screened in German at the Brand Center, PUMAVision Headquarters, Germany and attracted a large audience of PUMA employees and friends. Based on a story of African traditional circumcision rituals the film subject matter  ”left quite an impression” on it’s audience.

Produced by Peter Hermann and Benjamin Hermann, the movie follows the life of the beautiful and mysterious Waris Dirie (Liya Kabede) who is working in one of London’s fast food restaurants, when she is discovered by the famous photographer Terry Donaldson (Timothy Spall). The international fashion industry celebrates the birth of a new supermodel, as Dirie appears on magazine covers and runways around the world. But nobody senses that the young Somalian woman has a terrible and moving secret: as a little girl she was put through the ancient ritual of FGM (female genital mutilation).

Waris Dirie has now dedicated her life to raising awareness about and fighting FGM and in January 2009 she became a founding member of the Corporate Foundation for Women’s Dignity and Rights, which was established by CEO and Chairman of PPR, François-Henri Pinault.

Artist Kehinde Wiley at the second unveiling of his Unity Portrait series

On February 3 2010, PUMA unveiled Kehinde Wiley’s Unity Portrait series at the Espace de la Topographie de l’Art in Paris, France. The artist was present at the unveiling of the exhibition and spoke to a press-filled room, who snapped the series of four paintings (three individual portraits and one group painting) making up the Unity series. 

Press and guests at the Paris, France unveiling of the Unity Portrait series

In lead up to the World Cup in South Africa in 2010, the exhibition will travel to a series of venues across the globe including London, New York, Beijing and Milam before heading to Cape Town for a final World Cup unveiling. The exhibition at Espace de la Topographie de l’Art in Paris, France make up the second unveiling of the paintings following their debut in Berlin, Germany, with more to come…

Special guests Mia Frye (left)  and Thomas Ngijol (right), with artist Kehinde Wiley 

To herald the start of a World Cup year and to celebrate PUMA’s long-standing partnership with African football (the Company sponsors 12 African teams, four of which have qualified for World Cup), PUMA has partnered with Kehinde Wiley, one of the world’s most sought-after artists, and commissioned him to create four original works of art inspired by three of football’s most decorated players.  Wiley is best known for using contemporary African American men in poses taken from the annals of art history and for his distinctive use of elaborate, graphic and colorful wallpaper-like backgrounds. 

The four PUMA-commissioned portraits by Kehinde Wiley were unveiled at an opening in Berlin on January 20, 2010

PUMA-sponsored football stars; Samuel Eto’o of Cameroon, John Mensah of Ghana and Emmanuel Eboué of Ivory Coast sat for Wiley as he painted three individual portraits of each player wearing their national team kits.  A fourth ‘Unity’ Portrait was painted with all three players together, symbolizing the united countries of Africa.  The players’ pose was inspired by a pendant Wiley discovered while touring the Continent.  In the ‘Unity’ Portrait, the players are wearing the PUMA Unity Kit, a limited edition uniform designed to be a third kit shared by all African teams, symbolizing unity. The brown pigment in the kit is a customized pantone PUMA created by mixing actual soil samples from four different African nations—Ghana, Cameroon, Cote D’Ivoire and Mozambique. The brown to blue color gradient represents the soil to the sky progression.  In each portrait, Wiley captures the essence of each player using the rich heritage, customs and people of Africa as inspiration.  

Kehinde Wiley in front of the Unity portrait featuring fooball stars Samuel Eto’o of Cameroon, John Mensah of Ghana and Emmanuel Eboué of Ivory Coast

“PUMA is fortunate to have partnered with such a pivotal artist as Kehinde Wiley,” said Antonio Bertone, Chief Marketing Office, PUMA AG.  “His keen eye for design, color and composition, brilliantly capture the spirit and passion of Africa – and the players he painted. His style perfectly complements the vibrant culture of modern Africa and the PUMA brand.”

The individual portraits, measuring 5 feet by 6 feet and the ‘Unity’ portrait measuring 9 feet by 12 feet, were unveiled in Berlin on January, 20 2010. The portraits will then travel as an exhibition beginning in February to Paris, London, New York, Beijing and Milan, ending in South Africa in June for the World Cup.     

 Guests enjoy the first look at the Kehinde Wiley portrait series and his patterns incorporated in to the 2010 PUMA Africa lifestyle collection of apparel, footwear and accessories.

PUMA, best known for the sponsorship of 12 African national football teams, is expanding its reach beyond the pitch by create African-inspired lifestyle products and artwork that is relevant and understandable to a younger generation in tandem with Wiley. To that end, Kehinde Wiley has also lent some of his unforgettable patterns to the PUMA Spring Summer 2010 PUMA Africa lifestyle collection of apparel, footwear and accessories.  The PUMA Africa collection uses seven graphic patterns from Wiley’s existing work and integrates them throughout the bright, bold, color-blocking patterns of the collection. The collaboration between PUMA and Kehinde Wiley is part of a larger Africa-themed campaign PUMA is embarking on in advance of World Cup 2010, which will be held in South Africa in June.

Kehinde Wiley-inspired footwear as part of the 2010 PUMA Africa lifestyle collection 

Born in Los Angeles to an African American mother and a Nigerian father, Wiley describes his relationship with Africa as “one of searching and longing.” Kehinde, which means “second born of twins” in Yoruba, grew up without knowing his father and curiosity led him to Nigeria at the age of 20 to retrace his roots.  Upon meeting his father, Wiley completed a series of portraits of him, and later, in 2007, returned to Africa to compile a body of work entitled “The World Stage: Africa Lagos-Dakar,” which was exhibited at the Studio Museum in Harlem.  At age 32, he represents the African-American cultural explosion that has gripped the world.  With an MFA from the esteemed Yale University School of Art, Kehinde Wiley’s work is sought after in major galleries and museums around the world.  

Artist Kehinde Wiley talks about the process of making the Unity series:

As a major supporter of the AiM International Biennale, held from 19-23 November 2009, puma.creative and Creative Africa Network sponsored the feature exhibition by internationally renowned artist Isaac Julien, entitled WESTERN UNION: small boats, presented at the Royal Theatre, Marrakech. 

WESTERN UNION: small boats forms the final installment of Julien’s compelling trilogy of audiovisual film installations which also includes True North (2004) and Fantôme Afrique (2005). The works explore the impact of location – both cultural and physical – to resounding effect through a juxtaposition of opposing global regions. This exhibition deals with pertinent issues of migration, specifically the crossing of the Mediterranean by migrants leaving North Africa to escape war, famine and poverty.

Isaac Julien, WESTERN:UNION: small boats; Three-screen installation; 18 mins, Super 16mm, HD Transfer to DVD, 5.1 Sound

To extend on the exhibitions educative value, puma.creative and Creative Africa Network awarded Isaac Julien a Mobility Award to be present at the exhibition, to participate in the biennale, and to conduct a series of workshops for students at the local art and film schools. puma.creative and Creative Africa Network further extended their support to AiM International biennale by hosting a party in honor of Isaac Julien at the central venue, Riad El Fenn, as an opportunity for guests to meet and converse with the artist. This third edition of Art in Marrakech (AiM) International Biennale attracted an international art audience and fostered fruitful exchanges with Moroccan art students and professionals. 

puma.creative and Creative Africa Network used this opportunity to create branded Arts in Marrakech tote bags, greatly increasing the visibility of the event, as well as our puma.creative programs.  

The opening press conference held at the Royal Theatre, Marrakech

puma.creative and Creative Africa Network created Arts in Marrakech tote bags for biennale guests

PUMA, through our puma.creative program and Creative Africa Network initiative partnered with the Bamako Encounters African Photography Biennale, Mali.

Held in Bamako, Mali from 7 November to 7 December this year, the Bamako Encounters African Photography Biennale is considered the most important exhibition of African photography in the world. This year the biennale featured 58 artists selected from all over the globe for their affiliation to Africa, exhibited in a variety of venues throughout the Malian capital.

As a primary sponsor of the biennale, puma.creative and Creative Africa Network awarded 30 Mobility Awards to the photographers featured in the official international exhibition “Borders” at The National Museum of Mali—affording these artists the invaluable opportunity to be present and participate in the biennale. The exhibition discussed issues of migration, land ownerships and human rights, pertinent to Africa as a continent.

                      Photograph by Zanele Muholi, South Africa, as part of the Borders exhibition

The event attracted art professionals and press from across the globe, intermingling with local talent making for an eclectic visitor group and invaluable interaction. These visitors were invited to a puma.creative party in honor of these participating artists and featuring local music talents. 

Michket Krifa, Biennale Curator; Kenneth Montague, Collector and Sophie Renaud, General Manager, CultureFrance

puma.creative and Creative Africa Network used this opportunity to create branded tote bags for the biennale, as well as specialized Creative Africa Network ID tags for Bamako biennale guests

Christine Eyene, Editor CAN; Claire Breukel and Mark Coetzee, PUMAVision; Macha Roesnik, CAN Ambassador 2009

PUMA, through the puma.creative initiative, partnered with the 29th annual Hawaii International Film Festival (HIFF) sponsoring the first puma.creative Emerging Filmmaker Award. Held between October 15-25  in Hawaii, the Hawaii International Film Festival is considered the primary source for the discovery and exhibition of Asia and Pacific feature films, documentaries and short films in the nation. The puma.creative Emerging Filmmaker Award was awarded by HIFF to Children Of Invention directed by Tze Chun at an afternoon presentation at the Regal Dole Cannery Stadium 18 Theaters.

Still: Children of Invention directed by Tze Chun, winner of the PUMA Emerging Filmmaker Award

Children of Invention, the PUMA Emerging Filmmaker Award winner, is a film about survival in these financially unstable times: “Trapped by the recognizable scenario of single-motherdom, deadbeat dads, and a U.S. security world that exacts particular pain from immigrants, Elaine Cheng (Cindy Cheung) falls victim to her hope of escape in two pyramid schemes. But, we also see her resourcefulness amidst our new time of economic crisis. The mortgage meltdown is the unsaid context of her newly-evicted family’s clandestine relocation to a new, yet-to-be-sold vacant condo. When one of her marathon work days extends into a serial overnighter, her son, Raymond (Michael Chen), knows something is wrong. He recruits his little sister, Tina (Crystal Chiu) into a plan to produce and sell his inventions, buy back their house and live happily ever after…” - Bianca Isaki

Director Tze Chun introduces the Children of Invention trailer:

Established in 1981, the Hawaii International Film Festival is dedicated to the advancement of understanding and cultural exchange among the peoples of Asia, the Pacific and North America through the medium of film. The festival has premiered such movies as Once Were Warriors, The Piano, Shine, Shall We Dance, Y Tu Mama Tabien and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon.

puma.creative is proud to sponsor the first puma.creative Emerging Filmmaker Award at the 2009 Hawaii International Film Festival and would like to congratulate film Director Tze Chun on winning this award. 

Still: Cindy Chueng as Elaine Chueng in Children of Invention

Still: Children of Invention

To learn more about the puma.creative Mobility Awards and how to apply click here.

puma.creative Mobility Award winners for 2009 include:

Myriam Abdelaziz, Artist (Photography), (born Egypt) lives New York, U.S.A.
Arwa Abouon, Artist (Photography), (born Lybia) lives Montreal, Canada
Kader Attia, Artist (Installation and Photography), (born France) lives Paris, France
Reginald Bakwena, Coordinator, Thapong Visual Art Centre, Gabarone, Botswana
Jodi Bieber, Artist (Photography), (born South Africa) lives Johannesburg, South Africa
Mohamed Bourouissa, Artist (Installation and Photography), (born Algeria) lives Paris, France
Pauline Burmann, Independent Curator and Chair, Thami Mnyele Foundation, Amsterdam, Netherlands
Mohamed Camara, Artist (Photography), (born Mali) lives Paris, France
Silvia Cubina, Director and Chief Curator, Bass Museum of Art, Miami Beach, U.S.A.
Antoni Folkers, Director, ArchiAfrika, Utrecht, Netherlands
François-Xavier Gbré, Artist (Photography), (born France) lives Paris, France
Aleya Hamza, Curator, Contemporary Image Collective (CIC), Cairo, Egypt
Ayana Jackson, Artist (Photography), (born South Africa) lives New York, U.S.A.
Issac Julien, Artist (Installation), (born UK) lives London, UK
Majida Khattari, Artist (Performance and Photography), (born Morocco) lives Paris, France
Ananias Leki Dago, Artist (Photography), (born Ivory Coast) lives Paris, France
Goddy Leye, General Coordinator, Art Bakery, Bonendale, Douala, Cameroon
Lebohang Mashiloane, Artist (Photography), (born South Africa) lives South Africa
William Miko, Independent Curator, Lusaka, Zambia
Brooke Minto, Assistant Director, Miami Art Museum, Miami, U.S.A.
Edit Molnár, General Director, Contemporary Image Collective (CIC), Cairo, Egypt
James Muriuki, Curator, Museum of Modern Art (RaMoMA), Nairobi, Kenya
Robino Ntila, Independent Curator, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
Jimmy Ogonga, Director, Nairobi Arts Trust / Centre for Contemporary Art of East Africa (CCAEA), Nairobi, Kenya
George Osodi, Artist (Photography), (born Nigeria) lives Lagos, Nigeria
Sean O’ Toole, Journalist (born South Africa) lives Cape Town, South Africa
Zak Ové, Artist (Photography), (born Trinidad) lives London, UK
Didier Schaub, Artistic Director, doual’art, Douala, Cameroon
Trevor Schoonmaker, Curator of Contemporary Art, Nasher Museum of Art at Duke University, Durham, U.S.A.
Bisi Silva, Curator, Centre for Contemporary Art (CCA), Lagos, Nigeria
Barthelemy Toguo, Artist (Painting, Performance, Photography and Sculpture), (born Cameroon) lives Paris, France
Voti Thebe, Deputy Director, National Gallery of Zimbabwe, Bulawayo, Zimbabwe
Berend van der Lans, Director, ArchiAfrika, Utrecht, Netherlands
Alastair Whitton, Artist (Photography), (born UK) lives Cape Town, South Africa
Graeme Williams, Artist (Photography), (born South Africa) lives Johannesburg, South Africa

Artists, curators, arts professionals and press enjoying dinner at the puma.creative party in honor  of the participating artists.

125 puma.creative Mobility Awards were given to Africa Express for musicians including:

Adrian Sherwood, The Aliens, Amadou & Mariam, Amy Sacko, Audio Bullys, Ayo, Baaba Maal, Ba Cissoko, Bashy, Bassekou Kouyate, Billy Bragg, Bjork, Daara J, Damon Albarn, De La Soul, Diabel Cissokho, Don Letts, Elvis Costello, Eslam Jawaad, Fatboy Slim, Femi Kuti, Flea, Franz Ferdinand, Gang of Four, Get Cape Wear Cape Fly, The Good The Bad The Queen, Gruff Rhys, Hard-Fi, Hypnotic Brass Ensemble, Jamie T, Johnny Marr, Juldeh Camara, Justin Adams, Kano, Kasai Allstars, Kasse Maddy, Keziah Jones, K’naan, Konono No 1, The Magic Numbers, Mark Ronson, Martha Wainwright, Martina Topley-Bird, Massive Attack, Mathieu Chedid, Mehdi Haddab, Modeste, Mo DJ, Ms Dynamite, Muntu Valdo, Natty, Nitin Sawhney, Okwess International, Oumou Sangare, Paul Weller, Rachid Taha, Radioclit, Remi Nicole, Reverend & The Makers, Rise Kagona, Rokia Traore, Rosie Wilson, Salif Keita, Scratch, Shlomo, Shy FX, Sola Akingbola, Souad Massi, The Specials, Staff Benda Bilili, Sway, Terri Walker, Tinariwen, Tony Allen, Toumani Diabate, Ty, Turin Brakes, Vieux Farka Toure, VV Brown, Wasis Diop, and Wuru Samba.

Practicing backstage at the Africa Express concert, Paris, France, where 130 artists performed live for an audience of over 16,000 people. CAN and puma.creative provided 125 artists with puma.creative Mobility Awards to participate in the concert.

The Sportlifestyle company PUMA has issued its fifth sustainability report, giving an in-depth and transparent view of PUMAVision, the concept that unites PUMA’s corporate social responsibility activities and initiatives, guiding its work, partnerships and engagement worldwide.  

The 121-page document covers the reporting period 2007/2008 and has exclusively been published online for environmental reasons. It details PUMA’s progress to enhance working and social standards in its supply chain, build capacity at its suppliers’ factories, broaden its range of sustainable products and reduce the company’s environmental footprint through the PUMAVision category puma.safe. It furthermore outlines PUMA’s activities in supporting artists and creative organizations through the category puma.creative and its initiatives to support global peace through puma.peace. 

The full report is available online at: http://safe.puma.com/us/en/  

“Our 2007/2008 PUMAVision Sustainability Report is a testament to the fact that we at PUMA do not simply talk about sustainable development, we take action,” said Jochen Zeitz, Chairman and CEO of PUMA. “We are proud of our successes over the years and of our commitment to sustainability and the highest ethical standards, but realize that when it comes to corporate responsibility, there is and will always be room for improvement. Now, more than ever, we are deepening our commitments and dedicating ourselves to a strategy that sees the ‘whole’ as a sum of its parts—our PUMAVision. As we work towards a safer, more peaceful, and more creative world, we will continue to expand our outreach as corporate global citizens beyond the boundaries of business, not only for the benefit of our stakeholders, but for all.” 

 Highlights of the visually appealing document include:  

• A portrait of the concept PUMAVision  
• A transparent description of PUMA’s response to the challenges it faces in its supply chain operations, capacity building projects and brand collaboration initiatives  
• The expansion of PUMA’s range of sustainable products through Fair Trade footballs and apparel from “Cotton Made in Africa”  
• A detailed account of PUMA’s numerous initiatives to protect the environment, including the progress on reaching targets of a 25% reduction of energy and water consumption as well as waste creation for offices by 2010 and decreasing its carbon footprint  
• An outline of PUMA’s worldwide activities in cooperation with the charity organization “Peace One Day” to raise awareness for global peace  
• An account of its sponsorship of the art exhibition 30 Americans to support the work of 31 African-American artists  
• A recap of PUMA’ numerous projects on the African continent

The report has been certified by TÜV Rheinland, which “is confident that PUMA AG operates a meaningful and adequate system to collect, measure, control and steer their sustainability activities and that the PUMA 2007/2008 Sustainability Report presents information and facts that give a realistic impression on the sustainability performance of the company.”  

The Global Reporting Initiative has reconfirmed an A+ rating for the document.  

PUMA’s endeavours to enhance its social and environmental standards are ongoing. The Sportlifestyle company endorses the campaign “Seal the Deal!” led by the United Nations. This campaign aims at strengthening political will and public support for reaching a comprehensive global climate agreement at the Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen, Denmark, in December 2009 to help prevent global warming and further climate change. As a participant in the Carbon Disclosure Project, PUMA is actively working on reducing its direct and indirect climate gas emissions. 

PUMA is committed to working in ways that contribute to the world by supporting creativity, sustainability and peace, and by staying true to the values of being Fair, Honest, Positive and Creative in decisions made and actions taken. The foundation for our activities is PUMAVision—a concept that guides our work with its three core programs, puma.creative, puma.safe and puma.peace. 

To learn more about how PUMA is making a difference see our latest Sustainability Report:

Download PDF (43.3 MB) | View Online

Sportlifestyle company PUMA supported the making of environmental movie “HOME,” directed by Yann Arthus-Bertrand, photographer and author of “Earth From Above”, and produced by Luc Besson. The movie was released worldwide on 5 June 2009 — the World Environment Day — in cinemas, on DVD, and for free on television and the Internet. In support of the movie, puma.creative funded screenings of HOME in cultural institutions in Africa and beyond including the Planetarium in Cape Town, South Africa, the National Museum of Nairobi, Kenya, the Institute of Contemporary Art (ICA) in Boston in cooperation with the French Cultural Service, Bass Museum of Art  in Miami,USA and for school children at the Zeitz Foundation launch, Nairobi, Kenya. 

The documentary about environmental issues, which was filmed across fifty countries and shot entirely from the sky in high definition, offers a powerful commentary on the major environmental and social issues challenging our world and calls for a new awareness that protecting the earth is indispensable. It is the result of a collaboration between the photographer Yann Arthus-Bertrand, the producer and director Luc Besson and Francois-Henri Pinault, the Chief Executive of the French luxury group PPR – the majority shareholder of PUMA and the world exclusive partner of HOME. 

“Creating awareness of our environment’s emergency state is crucial and the first step for an improved handling of our natural resources,” said Jochen Zeitz, Chairman and CEO of PUMA. “In line with our PUMAVision concept, PUMA has implemented numerous environmental initiatives through various programs that aim at reducing our “paw print” — the effects that PUMA’s operations and actions have on the environment. The HOME film inspires us to work towards making a positive contribution to our planet. We hope that it will inspire audiences everywhere,” he added. 

It is the first movie to be released simultaneously across all media and all continents. The simultaneous worldwide release provides as many people as possible with the opportunity to watch this profound documentary as a global collective. Any proceeds from the sale of merchandising products related to the film will be donated to the organization www.goodplanet.org.