Global sports brand Puma announced that it has selected K-pop boy band NCT 127 as its ambassador in the Asia Pacific (APAC) region.
NCT 127 will become Puma’s ambassador in APAC and will be active in fifteen different Asian and Oceanian countries. The selection of NCT 127 as Puma’s APAC ambassador is significant in that they are Korean artists to represent the brand, contributing to the spread of the Korean Wave centered on the rising trend of K-pop worldwide.
“NCT 127 is a renowned K-pop boy group that has gained great popularity with the younger generation across APAC, including Japan, China, Singapore, and Thailand. NCT 127 was selected as the ambassador in consideration of the rapidly emerging status of K-culture around the world,” according to Puma.
It added, “Based on the strong influence, passion, and creativity of NCT 127, we plan to conduct various campaigns and communicate with fans and consumers all across APAC, overall, increasing our brand value.”
An SM Entertainment official said, “Collaborating with the world-famous sports brand Puma is very meaningful to NCT 127, and through this great opportunity, we will reflect a more diverse side of ourselves, along with Puma.”
With their third full-length album released in 2021, they sold over 3.64 million copies and became a “triple million seller,” entering third place on the US Billboard’s main album chart Billboard 200. On Aug. 20, NCT 127 will be performing at the SMTown Live 2022.
NCT 127 started their activities as Puma’s APAC ambassador with the Slipstream campaign, an iconic sneaker that best represents the brand’s heritage, featuring a classic basketball silhouette redefined with modern sensibilities, mixing leather and suede materials to suggest a premium look.