“Ford Team RS have a long proud heritage in rallying and proved in 2003 that whether with star veterans or young rookies, they always challenge for rallies and for championships. We are delighted to extend the contract and to work with such a dedicated team and talented young drivers”, says Andrew McPhail, Senior Manager of PUMA Motorsport. “Supplying the rally drivers, co-drivers and support crew with suitable gear for such a wide range of terrain and climatic conditions gives us a chance to demonstrate the know-how in high-performance motorsport apparel, which we have been able to accumulate with many partners over a number of seasons.”

“As a result of the good partnership, we have decided to extend the deal with PUMA,” states Malcolm Wilson, the former rally driver behind the wheel of the Ford attack to WRC. “The World Rally Championship is one of the most demanding and challenging motorsport competitions worldwide. It is therefore crucial for our drivers and team to have high quality, functional gear, and PUMA can give us exactly that.”

The FIA World Rally Championship races in 16 countries, starting in the French Alps near Monte Carlo, turbo-charging through the snow bound forests of Sweden, over the wide countryside of Argentina, past the historic scenery of Greece’s Acropolis and ending in the dirt and dust of Australia. Millions of fans in countries all over the world watch the teams battle it out on 5 continents.

PUMA® performance racing shoes were first used by various drivers and teams in the 1970s and early 1980s. And since 1998 PUMA’s motorsport division has gradually assembled an impressive portfolio of sponsorships. Along with Ford Team RS and a WRC partnership, PUMA will in the 2004 season be the official supplier of racing gear in several motorsport disciplines such as Formula One, F 3000, motocross, etc.

The kit design also features ‘lion claw tears” on each side along the oblique muscles, alluding to Cameroon’s nickname of the ‘Indomitable Lions.’ The tears are not just for aesthetics – they feature a layer of micromesh that allows air to circulate under the garment for better ventilation. In a unique application, the PUMA jumping cat logos on the front, arms and shorts are made of a faux ‘fur’ treatment, thus continuing the lion theme. In addition to the fabric treatment, a new aggressive font has been created for the player names and numbers.

“The Cameroon team has the perfect physique for this formfitting UniQT,” said Filip Trulsson, International Marketing Manager for PUMA Football. “As a group of players the ‘Indomitable Lions’ have come to symbolize confidence, athleticism and sheer power. This new streamline design moves as one with the players to further enhance their style of play and overall performance. It’s a perfect fit.’’

The revolutionary UniQT will be on display at retail, but will not be available for purchase. A replica shirt of the kit will be available for sale in February 2004 with a limited pre-launch of the authentic kit (top half only) in PUMA Flagship Stores worldwide on January 23rd 2004.

SAUBER PETRONAS driver Giancarlo Fisichella states: “Since the right gear is an important factor in motorsport, I am more than happy to wear PUMA racewear and footwear on track. PUMA not only has extensive experience with high-perfomance motorsport wear, but also nicely combines quality and functionality with fashionable design.”

“We are delighted to extend the contract with SAUBER PETRONAS and continue the good partnership,” says Andrew McPhail, Senior Manager of PUMA Motorsport. “It is a pleasure to work with such a professional and successful team that has achieved some impressive results in its long Formula 1 history. With the new, modern wind tunnel to test the cars and Fisichella and Massa as drivers, SAUBER PETRONAS will certainly be a force to contend with this season.”

SAUBER PETRONAS is an international Formula One team, located in Hinwil, Switzerland, where Peter Sauber founded his company back in 1970. The team’s highlights were the 1-2-victory 1989 at the 24 hours of Le Mans, the back-to-back sportscar World Championship Titles 1989 and 1990 and the 4th place in the 2001 Formula One Constructors’ Championship. Amongst the successful Sauber junior drivers were Michael Schumacher and Heinz-Harald Frentzen.

PUMA performance racing shoes were first used by various drivers and teams in the 1970s and early 1980s. And since 1998 PUMA’s motorsport division has gradually assembled an impressive portfolio of sponsorships. In the 2004 season PUMA will be the official supplier of racing gear in several motorsport disciplines such as Formula One, F 3000, motocross, WRC etc.

“In 2004 Jaguar Racing started to show their claws demonstrating flashes of brilliance”, says Andrew McPhail, Senior Manager of PUMA Motorsport. “We are particularly pleased to see a driver like Mark Webber from the Australasian region achieving so much success in Formula One – helping to make the sport more global than ever. Now combining Mark Webber in his third year of Formula One, with promising rookie Christian Klien, the team will undoubtedly produce even more highlights in 2004. We are therefore delighted to extend the partnership and are proud that PUMA will be clearly visible with every pit stop Jaguar Racing make throughout the season.”

Jaguar has been involved in motorsport since it was founded by Sir William Lyons in 1922. Due to Jaguar’s long proud history, PUMA thought it appropriate to give the pit crew a shoe with a unique vintage character that takes its inspiration from the early days of motor racing. The “Rennbahn 50 UL” has an oil resistant and non-slippery rubber outsole and the “used look” leather further underlines the value and the heritage of the product.

PUMA performance racing shoes were first used by various drivers and teams in the 1970s and early 1980s. And since 1998 PUMA’s motorsport division has gradually assembled an impressive portfolio of sponsorships. In the 2004 season PUMA will be the official supplier of racing gear in several motorsport disciplines such as Formula One, F 3000, motocross, WRC etc.

Building on the excitement of the tournament, the campaign predominantly features two diehard Azzurri fans, Marco and Fabio. Titled “Forza Tifosi, Forza Azzurri – Two Sides, One Goal,” both the TV and print ads cleverly portray the passion of football from both the fan and athlete points of view, stressing the apparent interdependency and mutual respect between the two parties. As their everyday lives take similar direction the cues to their different lifestyles are evident.

The commercial opens in the morning where two crazed fans prepare for their long journey by car to the stadium to watch their national team and favorite player, Buffon, take the pitch. Buffon’s day starts similarly, but his superstar status is evident by his luxury hotel room and chauffeured limo. The TV spot conveys how their activities resemble one another as they prepare for the match where their paths eventually cross.

“Football campaigns typically feature aggressive imagery, domination and hero driven messages,” said Filip Trulsson, PUMA International Football Marketing Manager. “In our campaign, Forza Tifosi, we wanted to incorporate the fans and their aspirations for their teams and leave the audience excited about football.”

The broadcast executions will air globally with 60, 45, 30 and 20 second edits. Several 10-second spots focusing the activities and lifestyles of the two Italia fanatics will also complement the longer commercials. These 10-second shorts range from Marco and Fabio singing the national anthem, chanting Buffon’s name to the exuberant emotion of meeting a player.

Five print advertising executions will launch in April. Once again the parallel lives of player and fan are portrayed. The executions feature two separate photos, one of fans and the other of the players. The images link up with similar scenarios and are joined by a football logo with the text reading “Forza Tiffosi, Forza Azzurri.” The tagline of the print ads reads, “PUMA, proud technical sponsor of the Italian National Football Team.”

 Neil Barrett has worked closely with PUMA’s design team to combine the brand’s technical sport expertise with his fashion sensibility for a full spectrum of Italia products that spans performance sport, lifestyle and fashion. The inspiration for the new playing kit came from protective armour worn by Roman gladiators blended with Barrett’s signature “layered” garments. Various items from the jersey, short and shocks, reflect this inspiration.

“PUMA is a brand known for blending elements of sport, lifestyle and fashion and this collaboration with Neil Barrett and the Italian National Team is our strongest campaign to date where each element has been executed under one umbrella,” said Jochen Zeitz, PUMA Chairman and CEO. “In January we debuted the fashion element on the catwalk here in Milan, and now we are back to reveal the kit along with the rest of the range.”

Neil Barrett specifically designed a formal “representation suit” for the players. The team officials, both men and women, will also wear a PUMA suit designed by Barrett. A version of this will be available for consumers this autumn in PUMA’s 96 HOURS collection, which was debuted at Milan Fashion Week during Neil Barrett’s catwalk show.

To complete the Italia collection, there is a complete lifestyle range. This collection blends PUMA’s sportlifestyle positioning under the direction of Neil Barrett. Key elements of this range include the integration of embroidered badges and unique appliqués.

All PUMA Italia products will be available at retail on April 3 in PUMA Flagship Stores and select retailers.

PUMA AG ANNOUNCES ITS CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL RESULTS FOR THE 1ST QUARTER OF 2004

Financial Highlights 1st Quarter:

• Branded sales increase 22%
• Consolidated sales achieve strong growth of nearly 30% – Apparel sales up 39%
• Gross profit margin reaches record level of 51.7%
• Profitability exceeds expectations – EBT 62.6% above last year
• Improvement in EPS – €5.02 versus €3.08 in Q 1

Outlook

• Future orders up by more than 20% or 24% on a currency neutral basis
• Management increases full year guidance – sales growth between 15% and 20% and earnings growth of more than 30% expected
  
  

Sales and earnings review

Consolidated sales up nearly 30%

2004 started very positively with Q1 consolidated sales growth of 29.3%, translating to sales of €443.8 million versus €343.2 million last year. On a currency neutral basis, sales were up 33.2%. Excluding the first-time consolidation of PUMA Japan (initial consolidation started April 1, 2003), total organic growth of 21% (currency adjusted 24.9%) was realized.

As expected, Apparel momentum continued on a very high level and sales recorded organic growth of 39.1% (currency adjusted 42.3%) reaching €111.2 million. Footwear sales grew by 22.7% (currency adjusted 26.1%) to €305.9 million and Accessories increased 90.9% (currency adjusted 93.6%) to €26.7 million. Excluding the first-time consolidation, Footwear was up 18.3% and Accessories 30.6% (currency adjusted).

All regions contributed positively to the performance. Europe was up 22.9%, the Americas achieved growth of 24.4% (9.2% in Euro currency), Asia/Pacific increased by 251.8% or 26.4% excluding Japan and the Africa/Middle East region realized an increase of 49.9%.

PUMA AG announces its consolidated financial results for the 2nd Quarter and 1st Half-Year of 2004

Financial Highlights:

• Branded sales increase 20% in Q2 and 21% ytd.
• Consolidated sales rise 17% in Q2 and 24% ytd.
• Gross profit margin sustained at a high level of 51%.
• EBT increase 41% in Q2 and 53% in the first half.
• EPS increase 47% to €3.43 and by 56% to €8.45 respectively.
  
  

Outlook:

• Due to a strong order intake total future orders are up by 22% end of June.
• New records expected across the board in FY 2004: Sales growth of about 20% and earnings growth of more than 30% now anticipated
  
  

Sales and earnings review

Sales momentum continues

During Q2, consolidated sales increased by 17.1% to €352 million. The Apparel segment realized the strongest growth of 26.3%, reaching €99 million. Footwear was up 13.3% to €229 million and Accessories improved by 19.2% to €25 million. On a currency neutral basis, total sales in Q2 were up 18.3%. Q2 marks the first quarter in which year-to-date comparisons reflect full consolidation of PUMA Japan, as the first-time consolidation took place April 1 of last year. Sales in the first half of 2004 grew by 23.6% to €796 million; this marks a currency neutral improvement of 26.2% versus the first half of the previous year. First half Footwear sales grew by 18.5% to €535 million, Apparel by 32.8% to €210 million and Accessories jumped by 48.1% to €51 million.

Branded sales exceed €1 billion in H1

PUMA’s branded sales, which include consolidated sales and licensee sales, reached €465 million during Q2, thus marking a 20.4% (currency adjusted 20.9%) increase over last year. During the first six months, a growth rate of 21.1% was realized, yielding YTD sales in excess of €1.0 billion. Footwear sales rose by 14.7% to €590 million, Apparel by 29.9% to €349 million and Accessories by 38.7% to €75 million. Currency adjusted growth was even higher, reaching 23.1%. After the end of H1 Footwear accounted for 58.2% (PY 61.5%), Apparel for 34.4% (PY 32.1%) and Accessories for 7.4% (PY 6.4%) of global branded sales.

Strong performance in licensed business

Overall, PUMA’s licensed business showed very positive developments. In Q2, licensee sales increased by 32% to €112 million, driven by sales in Asia. Sales in H1 increased by 12.9% to €218 million or by 34.2% excluding the first time consolidation effect from Q1. During Q2 PUMA generated royalty and commission income of €11 million. Despite the consolidation effect of the Japanese business in Q1, royalty and commission income reached €22 versus €21 million in the first half of ‘03. On a like-to-like basis, royalty and commission income increased by approximately 23%.

 “With EganaGoldpfeil (Holdings) Ltd we add a truly international player to our licensee portfolio,” states Jochen Zeitz, CEO and Chairman of the Executive Board of PUMA AG. “PUMA has over the past years successfully established business relationships with licensees in several sports and lifestyle related areas. The licensing contract with our new partner is another step towards continuing to fulfill PUMA’s strategy of exploring the potential of the brand by seeking new fields of business that lie outside of our core operations.”

“PUMA is one of the most successful Sportlifestyle brands world-wide,” states Theo Birkemeyer, one of the executive directors of EganaGoldpfeil. “The co-operation with such a strong partner will help us to further develop our business in design and lifestyle oriented market segments.”

EganaGoldpfeil already has extensive experience in selling exclusive licensed brand names such as Cerruti 1881, Esprit, Paolo designed by Paolo Gucci, Field & Stream (in US only), Outdoor Adventures, MEXX Time and JOOP. Other famous timepiece products sold under trademarks owned by the EganaGoldpfeil Group include Dugena, Goldpfeil, Carrera, Pierre Cardin, Prätina and Junghans.

“I am very pleased with our new partnership with Ferrari and its Formula 1 team,” says Jochen Zeitz, CEO and Chairman of PUMA AG. “Over the past years, PUMA has strengthened its position as one of the leading suppliers in the motorsport area. Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro is at the top of Formula 1 and like PUMA they combine high performance, technological competence and design with innovative styling. This makes the team the perfect fit for us and we are proud to work with such a successful partner and to celebrate future triumphs together with them.

Jean Todt and Jochen Zeitz

Jean Todt, Director General of Ferrari, as well as responsible for the Formula 1 team adds: “PUMA is one of the leading suppliers in motorsport and we are looking forward to working with our new partner.”

With the Future Cat (high and low cut) the merchandising collection – available to the consumer from March 2005 – features a unique product. The red and white shoe carries both the Ferrari Racing Shield as well as the PUMA logo. The range of articles will also include the team-shirt and team-polo (long- and short-sleeve) as well as caps, sweatshirts, rainjackets, and the official replica-shirt, identical to those worn by the team. As a special design feature the well-known footwear Formstrip is incorporated into the epaulette.

Ferrari has a long and proud history in motorsport. As early as 1951, Ferrari achieved its first victory at the Grand Prix of Great Britain. Besides the early success in securing this season’s World Drivers’ title as well as the World Constructors’ Championship, further highlights have been the 13 other Drivers’ and Constructors’ Championship titles the team collected over the past decades.

PUMA performance racing shoes were first used by various drivers and teams in the 1970s and early 1980s. And since 1998 PUMA’s motorsport division has gradually assembled an impressive portfolio of sponsorships. In the 2004 season PUMA is the official supplier of racing gear in several motorsport disciplines in addition to Formula 1, such as WRC, F 3000, DTM, etc.