Puma combines with innovision to build the Puma Yard

Global sportlifestyle brand Puma has announced today that The Boiler House, part of the Old Truman Brewery on Brick Lane in Shoreditch, East London, will be transformed into the Puma Yard this summer to celebrate the global sporting events taking place this July and August in London. For 17 days and nights during the Games, the Jamaican-themed Yard promises to be the ultimate destination, offering a convergence of sports, music and lifestyle activities that will deliver a one-of-a-kind fan experience.

Puma is the long-term partner of the Jamaica Olympic Association and the Jamaica Track and Field team including the World’s Fast Man, 3 time Olympic gold medal winner Usain Bolt.

“From Puma Social parties to amazing live music acts to sports viewing and sports events for aspiring athletes and After Hours Athletes, alike, the Puma Yard caters to anyone wanting to enjoy the Games with a cool drink in a relaxed Jamaican atmosphere,” said Franz Koch, CEO of Puma.  “We intend to be the hottest spot in London this summer.”

“Given its relevance and its standing as an iconic and cultural area of London, Brick Lane was the ideal location for Puma Yard,” said Tony Ward, general manager of Puma UK. “Puma Yard, like Puma, will be the perfect mix of sport and lifestyle to help Londoners get to know all that the brand stands for and its rich Jamaican heritage.”

All About Puma Yard

Free to the public and open from Friday, July 27 to Sunday August 12, 2012, the 479,160 square foot Yard comprises an indoor Puma Social Club and an outdoor Back Yard.  The Back Yard, which can accommodate 500 guests at a time, will feature Kingston-inspired food stalls serving authentic Jamaican cuisine, a Beach Bar with refreshing island libations, music and entertainment, recreational areas, giant TV screens so fans can cheer on the athletes and the Puma Speed Test where consumers can test their speed against the record setting 9.58 dash of the World’s Fastest Man, Usain Bolt.

Also situated within the Back Yard is the Puma Quad, a retail space built from four 40-foot shipping containers, featuring a multi-level shopping experience complete with a rooftop deck bar.

Indoors, the Puma Social Club is a shared social space with capacity for another 500 guests where Puma will host events and fantivities like foosball and ping-pong. This Kingston-cool lounge pays homage to the “After Hours Athlete” who finds inspiration in social competitions among friends, rather than hardcore sporting endeavours. The Social Club at the Puma Yard is a continuation of the popular Social Clubs that PUMA has launched in major cities all over the globe, from Abu Dhabi to New York to Tokyo to Paris and beyond, celebrating the “After Hours Athlete.”  A VIP section within this Puma Social Club will serve as a special hospitality space for executives and VIPs.

Puma Yard doors open each day at 12:00 noon for the afternoon session and at 19:00 each evening for the evening session. Admission is free but advance ticketing is required.  To get in on the action, fans must visit www.puma.com/yard and register for access. Digital tickets can be printed from home or scanned from a smart phone at the point of entry.

Music at Puma Yard

During the 17 days of operation, Puma Yard will host a list of DJs, Club nights as well as live performances sure to get the crowd on their feet.

Headlining the grand opening, just in time for the Games’ Opening Ceremonies on July 27 is the talent of London based electronic dance music heavyweights Groove Armada.

Another major act will take the stage on Jamaica Independence Day, August 6, when Puma Yard welcomes Jamaican born reggae artist Gyptian.

The Puma Yard party reaches a final crescendo on August 11 and 12, with big blow-out performances from amongst others, the inimitable Professor Green.

Puma and innovision

The Puma Yard was conceived through a collaboration of Puma and innovision, the London-based special events and brand experience agency. innovision lent strategic planning and creative design to the project, bringing the yard to life in a way that’s truly authentic to Puma as a brand and Jamaica as a nation.  The agency will also be responsible for event operations throughout the duration.