PUMA approached us with a serious challenge: completely rebrand PUMA Football. While other brands promised winning and fame through regimented work and tireless dedication, we gave PUMA an edge by promoting joy and community through shared love for the game.

As a PUMA player for most of his active career, Pele’s last three words as a professional footballer captured the spirit of his approach to the game. In front of 75,000 fans in New York, he said “Love, Love, Love,” and then walked off the pitch to a standing ovation. Pele's example of pure love for football was a key inspiration for us.

This inspiration lead us to create the world’s first wordless tagline. ‘Love = Football’ - a statement as much about the game as about PUMA. Simple and symbolic, understandable in any language, it speaks to the universal core of what motivates people to play. A simple insight communicated as a universal message, 'Love=Football' illustrates how when you find the truth, you can tell a truly great story.

The ‘Love = Football’ campaign has taken shape in film, print, outdoor, digital and guerrilla throughout Europe, Asia and Africa, including communications around the the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. It has been so successful that it continues to be the core platform for PUMA's brand communications around all of teamsport.