Puma Golf aims to elevate look and feel of brand, change perceptions

J.J. Spaun grabbed headlines a few weeks ago at Kapalua when he wore a button-down Puma Golf shirt for the second round of the Sentry Tournament of Champions. Turns out, Spaun wasn’t officially a Puma brand ambassador at the time, but after donning the bold look, he is now.

It unlikely, though, that he’ll be outfitted that bold for the rest of the season.

As it enters a new year, Puma is dialing back the flashiness that it displayed for so many years when Rickie Fowler was in his 20s. Fowler is still with the iconic brand, but now 34, Fowler has evolved in his fashion; Puma is following suit.

Starting with the technical construction of its golf wear and all the way down to the details – the colors, trim, collars and even the logo – Puma is moving toward a more mature look.

“We’re trying to elevate the overall look and feel of the brand and change people’s perceptions of what Puma is without completely losing where we’ve come from,” said Chris MacNeill, senior global product line manager for apparel. “We still want to keep it sporty while also looking more luxurious.”

So, while there will still be options for consumers who love that big and bright Rickie aesthetic, it’s clear with many of the new offerings that Puma also wants to increase its presence in pro shops at some of the higher-end, private clubs.

Part of the strategy includes moving to a more subtle logo. Instead of a large Puma cat on the chest of left sleeve, many Puma pieces now feature a smaller Puma logo encircled under the back collar, similar to what one would see from a more luxury brand like Peter Millar, while also incorporating less splashy prints and colors. Even the bolder collections, such as the Liberty of London collab, are more sophisticated.

The big unveil at this year’s PGA Show is a revamp of Puma’s layering catalog. Among the options: Cloudspun crewnecks ($80) and hoodies ($90), Scotia quilted vests ($230) and jackets ($260), and Monterey wind jackets ($130) all are worthy of having a top club’s logo stitched on the chest or sleeve to go along with a more subdued Puma branding on the back.

So, if you didn’t think Spaun looked good before, you will now.