This new partnership, effective from 1 February 2012, will see PUMA benefit from prominent branding locations on all BMW Motorsport racing cars and all Race and Teamwear for BMW Motorsport technical staff. With BMW re-entering the DTM racing class in 2012 following an illustrious history in GT car racing, PUMA will outfit drivers Martin Tomczyk, Bruno Spengler, Andy Priaulx, Augusto Farfus, Dirk Werne and Joey Hand with the latest innovations in fireproof technology.

In 2004, PUMA first partnered with BMW Motorsport, through its involvement with the BMW Williams Formula One team. This relationship continued when BMW acquired Sauber F1 to become BMW Sauber F1, and after BMW ceased its Formula One activities in 2009 to reorganise its activities, PUMA and BMW Motorsport have once again joined forces with this new deal.

PUMA will also develop BMW Motorsport licensed products for global sales and distribution. While existing motorsport markets in Europe are a key focus for this distribution, a strong emphasis will be placed on expanding sales performance of BMW Motorsport products in emerging markets, particularly in Asia Pacific and the Americas.

“It is great to have such a well-known and reliable partner as PUMA on board again at such an exciting time for us,” said BMW Motorsport Director Jens Marquardt. “The link between BMW Motorsport and this successful company has grown over the years and goes as far back as the 2004 season. It is hard to imagine our team and driver apparel without the characteristic PUMA logo. As a strong partner in the field of licensed products, PUMA will play a major role in ensuring that our fans around the world enjoy the products from the BMW Motorsport collections.”

Christian Voigt, Senior Head of Global Sports Marketing at PUMA said: “PUMA is delighted to once again be working with BMW Motorsport, following the successes we enjoyed with them through their tenure in Formula One. Their heritage in competitive motorsport and automotive engineering is so impressive, and their global profile derived from this makes them another strong partner for PUMA in motorsport. Through our experience in licensed product development and distribution we are fully confident this will be a successful partnership for both parties, and we hope to grow it in the years to come.”

Dr. Thomas Goerdt, Head of Lifestyle Collections in the BMW Group, added: “From 2012, BMW will be even more active and prominent in motorsport than it has been in recent years. For this reason, securing this partnership with PUMA was a priority for BMW Lifestyle right from the start. As leading sport lifestyle brand, PUMA boasts a unique wealth of expertise and proficiency in developing and distributing licensed products on a global scale. Bearing in mind the great success we have enjoyed together in the past, we are looking forward to continuing this partnership.”

To reduce waste and keep products out of landfills, the Sportlifestyle company PUMA has installed recycling bins in PUMA Stores and outlets in Germany for customers to return used shoes, clothing and accessories of any brand.

The PUMA “Bring Me Back” program, which is run in cooperation with global recycling company I:CO, aims at encouraging the recycling and re-usability of sportlifestyle products among consumers by providing a convenient and simple process: Consumers bring used shoes, clothing and accessories from any manufacturer to a PUMA Store and deposit them in the designated Bring Me Back bins. The used products are then sent off to be re-used or recycled. This means they are either broken down and re-used to create raw materials, or they will be re-used in case they are still in a suitable condition, or they will be recycled into new products. With this new initiative PUMA helps to protect the environment, aspiring to eliminate waste by recycling used products to create new ones. This effort is one more step forward toward the long-term goal of transitioning to a closed cycle loop for materials usage.
“On our mission to become the most desirable and sustainable Sportlifestyle company in the world, we areconstantly working on solutions that aim at reducing the environmental impact that PUMA as a company leaves behind on our planet,” said Franz Koch, CEO of PUMA. “With our Bring Me Back-Program, we are pleased to target for the first time ever the massive amounts of waste sportlifestyle products leave behind at their end-of-life phase when consumers dispose them and they end up on landfills or in waste incineration plants.”

PUMA has implemented several initiatives and programs within its long-term sustainability program that foresees a reduction of 25% of carbon emissions, energy, water and waste in PUMA offices, stores, warehouses and direct supplier factories by 2015. With the innovative packaging system Clever Little Bag, that PUMA introduced in 2010 and that replaced traditional shoeboxes, the company already reached a milestone in reducing PUMA’s – and its consumers’ – environmental footprint significantly by saving more than 60% of paper and water annually.

In 2011, PUMA published the first-ever Environmental Profit and Loss Account that assessed and valued the environmental impacts of the company’s core operations (PUMA offices, stores and warehouses) and along its entire supply chain of production factories – from the level of raw material production to the final manufacturing of PUMA products. This analysis helped PUMA to determine the impacts that arise from the point of cotton or leather production to the point where PUMA products are sold in a PUMA store. However, a considerable part of PUMA’s environmental footprint comes about through the consumer disposal phase. The Bring Me Back program now addresses PUMA’s impact at that level, reducing the waste generation of sportlifestyle products.

The program furthermore sets the foundation for an initiative on products which are designed for recycling as PUMA is currently looking into solutions to develop recyclable or decompostable products. PUMA’s entire team is also working on achieving the company’s goal of having 50% of the international collections made of more sustainable materials by 2015. In 2011, about 16% of PUMA’s total apparel products were made of more sustainable materials such as recycled polyester, organic cotton and Cotton Made in Africa, proving that the company is right on track to reach this target.

Bring Me Back launches in PUMA Stores and Outlets across Germany from the 17 April 2012. PUMA Stores and Outlets include among others Berlin, Düsseldorf, Munich, Hamburg, Augsburg and Herzogenaurach. The program will roll out to a handful of additional markets in October 2012, with a full global roll-out slated for January 2013.

More information can be obtained on the soon to be launched website www.puma.com/bringmeback.

Notes to the Editors:

I:CO is a global recycling company that works in conjunction with retailers to house collection bins and give consumers a place where they can return old gear and help give valuable resources another life.

For further information and to find the nearest collection bin, visit puma.com/bringmeback (launched soon).

WORLD’S FASTEST MAN INSPIRES FASTEST PERFORMANCE

Products in the ‘Year of Speed’

PUMA is proud to introduce evoSPEED, the groundbreaking performance collection that for the first time in the Sportlifestyle brand’s history, features product offerings for all PUMA sport categories. Inspired by the Usain Bolt – the World’s Fastest Man, the collection answers every athlete’s need for speed by taking performance technology and innovations and incorporating them in footwear and apparel developed for running, football, motorsport, golf, cricket and indoor sports. evoSPEED will be available from 1 June 2012.

Designed under the criteria of “light, flex, and fit”, all evoSPEED footwear features lightweight materials, increased flexibility and an optimized fit that enables a greater freedom of movement without compromising support, to enhance speed. For the first time in PUMA’s history, the classic Formstripe has been changed and a new lightening version, a signature graphic that emphasizes speed and harkens back to Usain Bolt, will be featured on the complete evoSPEED footwear collection.

The evoSPEED styles will be worn by PUMA’s key athletes in running (e.g. Usain Bolt), football (e.g. Sergio Aguero), motorsport (e.g. Fernando Alonso), golf (e.g. Rickie Fowler), cricket (e.g. Yuvraj Singh) and indoor sports (e.g. Luc Abalo) this summer and beyond.

Running

Inspired by the competitive performance spikes that Usain Bolt will be wearing during the 2012 Diamond League and at the Olympic Games in London, the BOLT evoSPEED Runner is a light, breathable and flexible trainer built to enhance speed. Through evoFOAM, a lightweight midsole cushioning, this trainer offers a fast, responsive and smooth ride. The BOLT evoSPEED Runner upper also has a modern and fresh aesthetic, to bring a strong lifestyle appeal to the track.

 

Football

Part of this cross category collection is the evoSPEED 1 FG, which will be worn by PUMA’s top football players including Sergio Aguero, Radamel Falcao and Mario Gomez. The next generation in PUMA’s Speed silo, the evoSPEED 1 FG is one of the lightest boots in the market and is designed to help players achieve top speed. The upper features a soft and ultrathin microfiber material whilst stability is provided by the internal EverFit cage. The anatomically engineered lightweight one-piece outsole provides stability and support, utilising high-tech materials to minimize weight and to maximize its flexibility and reactivity. The evoSPEED 1 FG features an external heel counter which secures an excellent heel fit and the new PUMA evoAptoLast which provides an industry leading fit.

 

Motorsport

The evoSPEED Mid is the newest style in the PUMA Motorsport range, and took its inspiration directly from the Formula 1 race track and the performance of World Class drivers such as Fernando Alonso of the Scuderia Ferrari F1 Racing Team. The shoe features a full EVA comfort midsole, an internal EverFit cage for enhanced fit, and a heel wrap up for better grip. For extra durability, a rubber spray toe-cap has been added. The minimalistic pattern piecing and the asymmetrical lace system showcase the focus on function for this style.

 

Golf

For the golf category, speed is represented with the FAAS Trac evoSPEED. The latest PUMA Golf shoe will be worn by COBRA PUMA GOLF superstar Rickie Fowler at the U.S. Open and other 2012 golf tournaments. As with the other evoSPEED collection styles, the FAAS Trac evoSPEED provides maximum flexibility to enhance a 360° movement as well as very lightweight materials. These light and highly functional materials deliver unmatched protection through extremely durable waterproofing, taped seams and high breathability to shield the athlete from external forces. The outsole combines directionally molded S2Quill spikes with replaceable S2Quill spikes for ultimate grip on the course. The spikes are situated within a stepped outer frame with additional traction elements to provide a stable, supportive platform. The FAAS Trac evoSPEED further provides improved balance, feel and lateral stability.

 

Cricket

The evoSPEED Cricket Spike is one of the lightest Cricket spikes in the market. The upper features a soft and ultrathin material whilst stability is provided by the EverFit cage that is also being used for the football and motorsport evoSPEED Footwear styles. A mesh window gives breathability and the anatomically engineered one-piece outsole provides stability and support.

 

Indoor

An additional part of the evoSPEED collection is the evoSPEED Indoor 1 that will be worn by many international handball players such as Luc Abalo of the French national team. Matching the general evoSPEED criteria, the shoe features very light weight materials, a super flexible outsole and the EverFit cage that offers a perfect fit and support. A mesh tongue further adds breathability whilst the removable perforated sockliners provide additional comfort.

For more information, please visit www.puma.com .

The results of this testing confirmed that the PUMA Italy replica jersey is within all legal regulations and fully meets the standards of PUMA’s own Restricted Substances List. The amounts of nonylphenolethoxylates (NPEOs) found in the product are considerably below PUMA’s own limits laid out in the Restricted Substances List and are therefore not dangerous to health and do not represent any health hazards.

Furthermore, the report by European Consumer Organisation claims that the jersey would contain lead. PUMA’s independent testing did not detect any traces of lead.

The manufacturer of the PUMA Italy replica jersey holds a valid OEKO-TEX 100 Certificate, which indicates full compliance to the strict Oeko-Tex Standard.

PUMA considers product and environmental safety as a core priority of its business practices. Clear standards that follow the strictest local and international regulations and best practice standards for consumer care and safety are specified in the PUMA.Safe Handbook of Environmental Standards  which also includes PUMA’s Restricted Substances List. The company’s quality concept requires all products to be free of environmentally hazardous chemicals or harmful substances as defined by the Restricted Substances List which is updated on a frequent basis to ensure compliance to all relevant legislation and standards.

PUMA is an active member of the “Zero Discharge of Hazardous Chemicals” industry working group and has committed to zero discharge of hazardous chemicals for all products across all pathways in the supply chain by 2020. Alkylphenolethoxylates (APEOs) and NPEOs are similar to soaps and are being used during the dying process.

APEOs and NPEs are one of the eleven priority chemical groups, targeted by the roadmap of the ZDHC industry working group and PUMA has advised its suppliers to convert to APEO/NPE free formulations. For more information and updates on the joint roadmap projects, please visit www.roadmaptozero.com

The Management has therefore decided to speed up as well as significantly expand the scope of the company’s Transformation Program in order to streamline the cost bases and increase efficiencies in terms of organization, processes and systems. PUMA’s Management estimates that these actions will require one-time costs of up to approximately € 100 million, to be booked in the second half-year of 2012.

The Management therefore revises its previous guidance for PUMA’s 2012 net sales growth from a high-single digit to a mid-single digit rate and expects annual Net Earnings to decrease significantly from the € 230.1 million posted last year, impacted by the aforementioned one-off expense.

Further details of PUMA’s business performance during the second quarter and first half year of 2012 will be provided with the results announcement on 26 July 2012.

“The agreement requires PUMA to underwrite the costs and to cut off business with any factory that refuses to make necessary safety upgrades. It gives workers and their unions a role in the process according to the non-profit Worker Rights Consortium,” said Caroti at PUMA’s stakeholder meeting at the Banz monastery in Bad Staffelstein in front of 67 participants from non-governmental organizations, academia, suppliers and corporations.

PUMA sources 11% of its apparel products from six supplier factories in Bangladesh. All PUMA suppliers in Bangladesh were A to B+-rated after having been audited by PUMA’s audit team.

PUMA has defined clear mandatory standards for all suppliers in the “PUMA.Safe Handbook of Occupational Health and Safety,” which includes specifications on working safety as well as the architecture and structural engineering aspects of their buildings (See Chapter 9 on about.puma.com/en/Sustainability/Codes-and-Handbooks). Following the building collapse in Bangladesh in April, we immediately contacted all PUMA suppliers to receive confirmation from the suppliers that they are following these regulations and to request the structural engineering certificates for all buildings. Future audits of supplier factories will be carried out with a renewed focus on these aspects.

A special guest at PUMA’s 10th annual stakeholder meeting – that focussed on the question “How to let Consumers live and support Sustainability” – was Nazma Akter, President of the Bangladesh Combined Garment Workers Federation and a former child worker in an apparel factory, who elaborated on the working conditions in Bangladesh supplier factories and called upon PUMA to increase the sourcing volumes from Bangladesh in order to support the important apparel industry of the country.

PUMA’s stakeholder meeting took place from June 3 to 4, 2013.

A full list of PUMA suppliers is available on:

The Joint Roadmap, Version 2, presents the ZDHC Group’s long term vision, interim 2015 milestones and 2020 goals. It builds on the previous Joint Roadmap document and sets out a new plan, incorporating and reflecting comments received from a wide range of stakeholders, including textile industry suppliers and associations, government agencies in Asia, Europe and the United States, non-governmental organisations, international development organisations and the chemical industry.

“To achieve the goal of systemic change and commercialisation of new, preferred alternative chemistries, we will need to transform the industry’s manufacturing inputs and processes. This requires full collaboration amongst thousands of organisations,” said Jessica Wollmuth, ZDHC Programme Manager. “Good progress has been achieved thus far, and the Joint Roadmap, Version 2, lays a firm foundation for creating an apparel and footwear industry that delivers high quality products using safe chemistries.”

ZDHC Group achievements in the past year include having:

• Completed chemical use and management surveys, and wastewater testing for approximately 150 analytes at 20 facilities in Bangladesh, China, India, Taiwan China and Vietnam
• Completed a chemical inventory that is the most complete, publicly available compilation of information on chemicals used in the textile industry
• Developed training materials in English and Chinese
• Developed and delivered training to suppliers
• Engaged with more than 350 potential stakeholders
• Completed system mapping, critical to the understanding of the interconnected issues, leverage points and stakeholders involved.
• Agreed to timelines for the phase out of C8 chemistry by no later than January 1, 2015
• Worked with suppliers to address the most pressing chemicals of concern, starting with APEOS, and will continue to do so in 2013
• Worked to identify safer chemistries and mechanisms to incentivise chemical suppliers to invest in these alternatives

“Building on the knowledge gained during the first full year of implementation, the Joint Roadmap, Version 2 provides an overview of the guiding principles and long-term vision of the ZDHC group, and defines key activities that will catalyse industry change,” said Wollmuth. By implementing tasks in seven workstreams defined in the Roadmap, specifically Chemical Hazard Assessment, Prioritisation and Action, Training, Right to Know, Assessment and Auditing, Management Systems Approach, Structure and Documentation Stakeholder Partnering, and Chemicals Management Best Practices Pilot. The ZDHC Group will develop and promote industry best practices to deliver a safer and cleaner environment. “Our goal is ambitious, and the ZDHC Group and partners are fully committed to working together to achieve it, “ said Wollmuth.

PUMA and Arsenal will work together to bring further innovation into the sports brand’s performance apparel range. Both organisations will work collaboratively on a global strategy to drive mutual growth across all football markets, achieved through PUMA’s global sales network, international tours and integrated marketing activities. Arsenal also presents PUMA with its most prominent platform to showcase performance products through its significant global fanbase, profile and reputation.

Having extended and deepened its relationship with the FIGC (Italian Football Federation), signed 2013 UEFA Champions LeagueTM finalists Borussia Dortmund and bolstered its player portfolio with Sergio Agüero, Cesc Fàbregas, Mario Balotelli, Radamel Falcao, Olivier Giroud and Yaya Touré amongst others; PUMA is defining itself as the clear number three football brand.

Bjoern Gulden, Chief Executive Officer for PUMA said: “Arsenal have been a key strategic target for PUMA for a number of years now. Through a clear commercial vision, a well-defined sports marketing strategy and a relentless enthusiasm within the PUMA organisation, we’re proud to have signed this partnership with a truly global football club. As we enter a new era in our company history, Arsenal represents a major commercial and marketing opportunity to reinforce PUMA’s credibility as a global sports brand, and we have full confidence the plans in place to activate this partnership will have a significant global impact.”

Ivan Gazidis, Chief Executive Officer at Arsenal Football Club said: “We are excited to be partnering with PUMA, a company whose football heritage and record of innovation have a strong affinity with our own. This represents another important step forward in Arsenal’s progression on and off the pitch.”

Imagery and further assets can be downloaded from the PUMA Press Centre: about.puma.com/en/Newsroom

Media Contacts:

PUMA
Tim Stedman, International PR, PUMA
+49 151 1474 3148
tim.stedman@puma.com

Arsenal
Mark Gonnella, Communications Director
+44 207 704 4010
mgonnella@arsenal.co.uk

Katie Baldwin, Senior PR Manager
+44 207 704 4010
kbaldwin@arsenal.co.uk

Sports company PUMA SE and leading beauty company L’Oréal have signed a license agreement for beauty products, becoming effective 1 January 2015. PUMA’s license contract with former personal care product licensee Procter & Gamble will terminate on 31 December 2014.

About L’Oréal

L’Oréal has devoted itself to beauty for over 105 years. With its unique portfolio of 28 international, diverse and complementary brands, the Group generated sales amounting to 23 billion euros in 2013 and employs 77,500 people worldwide. As the world’s leading beauty company, L’Oréal is present across all distribution networks: mass market, department stores, pharmacies and drugstores, hair styling salons, travel retail and branded retail.

Research and innovation, and a dedicated research team of 4,000 people, are at the core of L’Oréal’s strategy, working to meet beauty aspirations all over the world and attract one billion new consumers in the years to come. L’Oréal’s new sustainability commitment for 2020 “Sharing beauty with all” sets out ambitious sustainable development objectives across the Group’s value chain.

www.loreal.com

CONTACTS AT PUMA

Corporate Communications

Mr Ulf SANTJER
+49 9132 81 2489
ulf.santjer@puma.com

Global Licensing

Mr Anthony WARD
+49 9132 81 3168
anthony.ward@puma.com

CONTACTS AT L'ORÉAL

Individual shareholders and market authorities

Mr Jean Régis CAROF
Tel: +33 1 47 56 83 02
jean-regis.carof@loreal.com

Financial analysts and Institutional investors

Mrs Françoise LAUVIN
Tel: +33 1 47 56 86 82
francoise.lauvin@loreal.com

Journalists

Stephanie CARSON-PARKER
Tel: +33 1 47 56 76 71
stephanie.carsonparker@loreal.com

PUMA will continue to outfit team drivers Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg with its lightweight race suits and footwear. All technical pit personnel will also wear PUMA’s latest innovations in performance race wear. 

A licensed MERCEDES AMG PETRONAS collection will also continue to be developed and distributed by PUMA which will include footwear, apparel and accessories that are inspired by the F1 team’s heritage and driver personalities.

Toto Wolff, Head of Mercedes-Benz Motorsport, commented: “PUMA has been a key performance partner for the three seasons we have now worked together, ensuring our drivers are outfitted in the lightest and most innovative performance race wear. This is an important component of our racing operation within a continually evolving and challenging industry. As a licensed partner, PUMA has excellent capabilities of designing, developing and distributing high quality products that carry our brand identity. This partnership is very important for MERCEDES AMG PETRONAS and we are delighted that it will continue for the years ahead.”

Bjørn Gulden, Chief Executive Officer for PUMA said: “We are very excited to continue our partnership with MERCEDES AMG PETRONAS, who, after an incredible season this year will no doubt continue to achieve great things. PUMA has good heritage in motorsport and we are constantly working with our partner teams to innovate our performance race apparel and footwear, and help them be the fastest and achieve success. We’re proud to work with the MERCEDES AMG PETRONAS team and look forward to the next phase of this relationship.”

*Subject to official confirmation by the FIA of the results of the 2014 FIA Formula One World Championship

Through this partnership, Rihanna will be the face of PUMA’s Women’s Training category. Fans can anticipate PUMA and Rihanna taking a fresh, forward thinking and non-traditional approach to sports, fitness and lifestyle – fusing Rihanna’s personality, love of sports, spirit and style into the growing footwear and apparel segment. No stranger to breaking the mold with beauty, fashion and lifestyle trends, Rihanna, with PUMA’s support, will bring her personal touch and creativity to the athletic world.

Rihanna will also assume the role of PUMA’s Creative Director for the category, directly influencing product collections as early as 2015, and working in partnership with PUMA’s Internal Product Creation team. These collections will be designed with the goal of strengthening women in training sessions and beyond, and inspiring confidence in their bodies and themselves – the exact confidence for which Rihanna is so well known and celebrated. As part of her role, Rihanna will work with PUMA to design and customize classic PUMA styles as well as create new styles to add to the PUMA product portfolio.

Speaking about the new partnership with PUMA, Rihanna said: “It’s great to find a brand that celebrates strength and individuality. I couldn't think of a more perfect partner to collaborate with as a creative director. I'm excited for you to see what PUMA and I come up with.”

Rihanna will play a starring role in PUMA’s brand campaign, Forever Faster and be featured along with many of PUMA’s world-class athletes such as Usain Bolt and Sergio Aguero. PUMA and Rihanna will launch several fan activations throughout the partnership around the world such as consumer and retail events, training and fitness related social media content, and product programs.

Bjørn Gulden, CEO at PUMA commented: “Signing Rihanna is a fantastic step for PUMA. Her global profile, her charisma and individuality, her ambition – all these things make her a perfect ambassador for our brand. She also aligns perfectly with the values PUMA strives for: to be Confident, Brave, Determined and Joyful. With a strong portfolio in football, running and motorsport, finding an inspiring partner for women’s training was very important. Rihanna was a natural choice for us. We’re delighted to have her as a partner, and we’re looking forward to what’s to come.”

Adam Petrick, Global Brand & Marketing Director for PUMA said, “Rihanna brings joy to audiences around the world but also ignites and awes. PUMA admires her for never waiting for the next big thing, but more so for driving what happens next - in fashion, style, music and soon to be - sports. We can't wait to empower women worldwide with Rihanna - she demonstrates a body confidence and determination that is the exact representation of the PUMA Woman.”

Anxious to learn more? Follow PUMA and Rihanna’s journey on Instagram (@PUMA and @badgalriri), Twitter (@PUMA and @rihanna) and Facebook (facebook.com/PUMA and facebook.com/Rihanna) and online at www.puma.com and www.rihannanow.com.

Media Contact:
Tim Stedman, International PR, PUMA
+49 151 1474 3148
tim.stedman@puma.com

Kristina Fields, Head of Partnership Management, PUMA
617-435-9964
kristina.fields@puma.com

Amanda Silverman
42West
Amanda.Silverman@42West.Net