The sportswear brand has been condemned for glamorising drugs to its target market. Puma's latest marketing event sent invitees a shoe box including fake £50 notes, a burner phone and business cards instructing them to turn on the trapline - "trapping" is the dealing and selling of drugs. Once the phone was turned on, invitees received a message: "Yo G what u sayin today? Pass tru the House of Hustle." - which is the name of Puma's event.
The House of Hustle located in Soho was designed to look like a trap house - a place for the buying selling and production of drugs. With graffiti coating the walls, mattresses strewn on the floor and blacked out windows, the trap house was in full swing. Barbers, tattooists and jewellers offered their services while DJ's performed.
Puma have initially refused to comment but have put out a statement stating "In our invitations to the event, we used the terms 'trap' and "trapping" with the intention of the colloquial interpretation of 'hard work' and 'hustle' in a number of fields. Unfortunately, these words can in some contexts be associated with the illegal drug trade. We want to make clear that Puma in no way endorses or intends to glamorise drug culture. We never intended associations with drug usage, drug culture or drug dealing in any way and we regret any misunderstandings in this respect. We apologise for any upset or offence caused in the usage of this language."
Although Puma have apologised there has still been outrage and the backlash from the event has placed Puma in a bad light throughout the media. Receiving letters of complaint and disgust, how will Puma turn around the negativity and bring their reputation back to solid ground? Is this a genuine mistake or was it the fault of the marketers?
For a big brand in the retail industry, to make this kind of mistake and cause such outrage it just shows how important a brands image is and how influential that image can be. Hopefully this will be a lesson to other brands throughout the industry and a warning to future marketing projects.
PUMA CONDEMNED FOR GLAMORISING DRUGS
"graffiti coating the walls, mattresses strewn on the floor and blacked out windows"