National, September 22, 2025: Sports brand PUMA India has launched the local edition of its biggest brand campaign, GO WILD, signaling a strategic deepening of its investment in running as both a performance sport and a cultural movement. Featuring two-time Olympic medalist PV Sindhu, young actor Ibrahim Ali Khan, and runners from all walks of life, the campaign reflects a confident evolution of PUMA’s brand identity, further establishing running and performance as defining pillars of its presence in India.
GO WILD is designed to inspire self-expression through sport. Running was chosen as the starting point to reflect the global appetite for performance-driven experiences with cultural relevance.
The launch comes at a time when running is one of India’s fastest-growing sports, accounting for 23.5% of non-cricket sponsorship spends in 2024 (GroupM, 2025) and drawing over 2.5 million registered runners nationwide. PUMA has built a leading position in this space, from long-term commitments to athlete partnerships, cutting-edge products like the NITRO™ range, marquee race sponsorships, and over 250 community-led runs in the past year alone.
Commenting on the new campaign launched today, Karthik Balagopalan, Managing Director, PUMA India, said, “Running is one of the fastest-growing sports in India. GO WILD India campaign is our unique attempt to acquaint people with the pure joy of chasing the Runner’s High and cementing our performance-first vision for the brand. We believe we are just scratching the surface in making everyday running a defining part of India’s culture and we will continue to be the forerunner in shaping the sporting ecosystem of the country.”
The 60-second video uses the metaphor of “Runner’s High” to tell stories of grit, joy, and personal transformation experienced during a run. The PUMA India film features sporting and entertainment icons alongside everyday heroes like real-estate developer and athlete Nirupa Shankar, finance journalist Mangalam Maloo, Influencer Ankita Chawla (a.k.a Hustlerani), Co-founder of a Gen Z Run Club Maninder Singh, and HYROX ambassador Joel Eric Pinto.
Set to a fresh remake of American rapper Afroman’s 2000 classic ‘Because I Got High’, PUMA’s latest campaign turns the iconic track into an unexpected running story that fuses sport with culture. From Sindhu pushing through a blister, Ibrahim’s morning stride, and Maninder weaving a run into his daily routine with his dog, to Hustlerani overcoming a heartbreak by prioritising a run, Joel chasing his personal best, Mangalam carving out time with his child through a shared run, and Nirupa adding a stride to her packed corporate schedule, the film celebrates running not for medals or records but for the pure thrill of chasing the high.
PUMA’s leadership in running and performance is anchored in a multi-layered strategy, from developing the NITRO™ range for both elite and everyday runners, securing multi-year partnerships with marquee races such as Vedanta Delhi Half Marathon, Ladakh Marathon, Mumbai Half Marathon and Wipro Bengaluru Marathons, to outfitting over 400 national athletes in collaboration with the Athletics Federation of India. Beyond marathons, PUMA keeps its running community engaged with fresh formats like the PUMA x Bumble runs launched in 2024, to hosting 170+ weekly runs in 2025 so far, further reinforcing its commitment to the sport.
