Rihanna directs Cara Delevingne in new ‘Do You’ Puma ad campaign
SHE DOES: It’s official. After posting a series of teasers on social media, Puma confirmed Tuesday that Cara Delevingne is the new face of its “Do You” women’s campaign.
In the director’s chair is Puma’s highest profile brand ambassador, Rihanna, in her ongoing role as the brand’s women’s creative director.
Delevingne revealed the news three days ago on her Instagram page, joined by a characteristically irreverent black-and-white shot of herself in Puma gear blowing a bubble. The post has already received 1.4 million likes.
Known for her tomboyish style, it seems the model-cum-actress has long been easing into her role. The “Suicide Squad” star in January sported a pair of Puma by Rihanna black-and-white Creepers to the White House, where she participated in a Funny or Die roundtable discussion about climate change.
In a statement released by the German activewear giant, Delevingne shared her personal reading of the campaign’s slogan. “To ‘Do You’ is to take ownership of yourself and finding the power within that ownership — it’s a very powerful statement,” she said. “It’s about accepting who you are, no matter your faults. ‘Do You’ is about finding your truth and sticking to it. I think it’s so special because it means something different for everyone. It specifically encourages people to be themselves.”
The campaign will launch later this month with a cross-category product assortment dropping through December from Puma’s Running & Training and Sportstyle collections, the brand confirmed. Other strong female personalities featured in the campaign include Mimi Staker and Olivia Boisson of the New York City Ballet; German track and field athletes Alexandra Wester and Tatjana Pinto, and Cuban volleyball players Leila Consuelo Ortega Martinez and Lianma Flores Stable.
The campaign starring Delevingne will be featured in outdoor advertising, Puma stores and retailers, and on puma.com.
The move is set to further ramp up Puma’s fashion cred with the brand in the midst of category expansion and rebranding. The Kering-owned firm in June announced it has teamed with the New York City Ballet to become the company’s official offstage outfitter.
In the same month Puma also announced it had tapped Kylie Jenner, Snapchat star YesJulz, Khalif and Aaquil Brown of the hip-hop duo Rae Sremmurd, and rapper Young Thug as the faces of its suede collection.
