PUMA(R) Rallies With Gumball 3000

Sportlifestyle Brand Joins Superstars and Supercars as Official Sponsor of the
10th Anniversary Gumball 3000 Rally Spectacular, August 9 - 16, 2008

WESTFORD, Mass., July 31 /PRNewswire/ -- PUMA(R) fuses the influences of
sport, fashion and lifestyle, on and off the race track, and this August is no
different, as PUMA steps up to the starting line as official sponsor of the
Gumball 3000 Rally. A leader in motorsport, PUMA will partner with the Gumball
3000 Rally -- the around-the-world, 3,000 mile, eight-day lifestyle event,
featuring the most amazing cars driven by film stars, musicians, athletes,
billionaires and motorsport enthusiasts. PUMA will join Gumball 3000 on the
starting grid in San Francisco on August 9th, stopping off for exclusive
parties in Los Angeles, San Diego and Las Vegas. From Las Vegas the Gumball
Rally continues to Pyongyang, North Korea and crosses the finish line 8 days
later in Beijing, China on August 16th.
PUMA entered the Motorsport category 10 years ago and today is a leader in
the sport as the official supplier to top motorsport racing teams and drivers
in Formula 1, NASACR and MotoGP. The brand's credibility in the sport and
ability mix lifestyle and fashion into the event made Gumball 3000 a natural
fit, especially given the global event's appeal for adventure, fast cars,
style and most importantly, fun. In addition to event sponsorship, PUMA teamed
up with bespoke car manufacturer LSE Design Ltd who have entered their new LSE
Sport Coupe into the rally. Driving the new LSE Sport Coupe will be different
celebrity drivers, managed by celebrity motorsport club Trackstar-Racing. The
PUMA/LSE Design/Trackstar-Racing team will be outfitted in exclusive PUMA Pit
Crew team jerseys.
Adding to the excitement of Gumball 3000's activities, each of the 120
cars will feature prominent PUMA branding, including the iconic PUMA Cat logo
and signature formstripe, as part of the Official Gumball 3000 Sticker Kit.
Each driver will receive a custom PUMA + Gumball Special Edition Speed Cat
sneaker, inspired by PUMA's original motorsport performance shoes, featuring a
Gumball branded footbed and gold-tipped laces. PUMA also designed the Limited
Edition PUMA Gumball T-shirt, featuring a racing seatbelt harness design in
gold foil for the drivers and crew.
As the official sponsor, PUMA will sell PUMA and Gumball merchandise at
The PUMA Mobile Unit at the event's launch city, San Francisco. The PUMA
Mobile Unit is a stand-alone PUMA module retail store designed by PUMA and is
a converted 20-foot shipping container. The PUMA Concept Stores in San
Francisco, Los Angeles, San Diego and Las Vegas will activate in-store
promotions during the event's visit in each city. Consumers will also have a
chance to win tickets to the VIP events hosted in the United States online at
http://www.pumagumball.com.
PUMA will be documenting the PUMA + Gumball team and Gumball 3000
activities via photography and exclusive videography on
http://www.pumagumball.com. For more information on the entire event, visit
http://www.gumball3000.com.
About PUMA
PUMA(R) is the global athletic brand that successfully fuses influences
from sport, lifestyle and fashion. PUMA's unique industry perspective delivers
the unexpected in sportlifestyle footwear, apparel and accessories, through
technical innovation and revolutionary design. Established in Herzogenaurach,
Germany in 1948, PUMA distributes products in over 80 countries. For further
information please visit http://www.puma.com or http://www.pumamotorsport.com.
About Gumball 3000
The first Gumball 3000 took place in April 1999, when British creator
Maximillion Cooper invited 50 of his friends to take part in a 3000-mile party
around Europe to bring together the music, film, fashion and sport industries.
Ten years later, and things have certainly grown, with crowds of more than a
million people attending the start last year in London, and a televised and
online audience that reached more than 60 million in more than 150 countries
around the world.
Gumball 3000 consistently hits the headlines as "Cool Britannia's" most
unique addition to pop culture, described by Vanity Fair Magazine as "the most
rock 'n' roll car rally ever staged" and famed for its exploits and celebrity
participation. The event annually attracts stars including Oscar-winning star
of the "Pianist" Adrien Brody, "Jackass's" Johnny Knoxville, Hugh Hefner,
supermodels Jodie Kidd and Caprice, "Kill Bill's" Daryl Hannah, action sports
legends Tony Hawk, Matt Hoffman, Carey Hart, and rock stars including Snoop
Dogg, Blink 182, 50 Cent, The Fun Lovin' Criminals, The Happy Mondays,
Placebo,
Jamiroquai and even Ms. Minogue.
Incorporating a new 3000-mile route each year, the attraction of the
Gumball transcends social barriers, appealing to the adventurer in everyone,
regardless of status or wealth; combining grease, glamour and guts in equal
measures, stretching the experiences of travel and entertainment -- just that
bit further. Over the past nine years, Gumball 3000 has been hosted by kings
and presidents, partied with Snoop Dogg, appeared on the "Jay Leno Show,"
raised awareness for testicular cancer, chartered the world's three largest
aircrafts, created untold amount of "Jackass's" fuelled mayhem, hung out at
Hugh Hefner's mansion, and most recently has been invited to work with the
United Nations, all through the language of the motor car.
SOURCE PUMA

Kristina Fields of PUMA North America, +1-978-698-1144,
Kristina.fields@puma.com