PUMA launched an innovative guerilla campaign to generate attention for its sponsorship of the Italian football team. Leading up to the game, a life-sized foosball team hyped the Italy versus Ireland qualifier match across the city in high traffic locations. Referees handed out humourous yellow card citations to pedestrians to promote the gathering in Little Italy. On game day, the event shut down a street and allowed a packed crowd to witness Italy qualify. The event featured our foosball players playing a match in the street, along with wild postings, wall clings and football shaped pizzas to hype the party.

PUMA’s guerilla campaign captured national media attention, including a story on Canada’s National Sports network, the Score. Over 100,000 Torontonians witnessed the foosball teams and ref throughout the city, with many of them interacting with our foosball players or receiving a yellow card. Internationally, our campaign spread virally with thousands of hits on YouTube and conversation on countless other blogs. The guerilla campaign was also selected as the top pick of the day and reached the number one spot on Creativity Online.