LOS ANGELES, April 13, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Global sportlifestyle brand PUMA® and The NMA Group, world-class leaders in product integration, promotions and entertainment publicity, today announced that The NMA Group will be the brand's global Agency of Record for entertainment marketing.  The NMA Group will lead all entertainment initiatives within film, television, music, talent and entertainment public relations for the footwear, apparel and accessories brand and work collaboratively with PUMA's internal entertainment marketing teams based in Los Angeles and London.

"We've been thoroughly impressed with the track record of NMA Group client successes," said Antonio Bertone, Chief Marketing Officer for PUMA AG.  "As entertainment continues to be an integral part of our marketing mix, it's important to have the right partner in place to help us reach our goals.  Like PUMA, The NMA Group is a pioneer in their field and we're confident that the team will use their strategic and creative thinking to build upon our strong brand equity."

The NMA Group is tasked with globally elevating the PUMA brand within the entertainment industry by initiating targeted outreach and brand integration throughout film, television, music and talent relations.

"Film, television, music and celebrity are global mediums that travel the world at a rapid pace," said NMA Group President Mark Owens.  "We are delighted and thrilled to be selected as the global Agency of Record so that we can offer our core competencies of placement, promotions, entertainment PR and red carpet events on a consistent global basis."

The NMA Group will utilize PUMA's many brand assets from its worldwide retail presence, to its famed athlete and designer collaborations, charitable affiliations, celebrated campaigns and activations, online presence on puma.com and social media channels and more.

"PUMA is one of those rare brands that genuinely reinvented its category," says Lori Kotarski Nelson, Senior Vice President at NMA Group. "We look forward to building upon the strong foundation the brand has achieved within entertainment to further engage consumers."

About PUMA

PUMA is one of the world's leading Sportlifestyle companies that designs and develops footwear, apparel and accessories. It is committed to working in ways that contribute to the world by supporting Creativity, SAFE Sustainability and Peace, and by staying true to the principles of being Fair, Honest, Positive and Creative in decisions made and actions taken. PUMA starts in Sport and ends in Fashion. Its Sport Performance and Lifestyle labels include categories such as Football, Running, Motorsports, Golf and Sailing. Sport Fashion features collaborations with renowned designer labels such as Alexander McQueen, Mihara Yasuhiro and Sergio Rossi. The PUMA Group owns the brands PUMA, Cobra Golf and Tretorn. The company, which was founded in 1948, distributes its products in more than 120 countries, employs more than 9,000 people worldwide and has headquarters in Herzogenaurach/Germany, Boston, London and Hong Kong. For more information, please visit http://www.puma.com

About The NMA Group

Founded in 1979 as Norm Marshall & Associates, Inc., NMA is an originator in the field of corporate representation within the entertainment sector, and is widely recognized as a world leader specializing in entertainment marketing strategy, product placement and consumer promotions. In 2008, NMA established Vanguard Entertainment Media Marketing Group, a division representing content creators and distributors to develop full marketing integrations and alliances. Brands represented by The NMA Group include General Motors, Heineken, Xbox, Luxottica, HSN, Reelz Channel, American Cancer Society and Dunkin Brands.  The agency is headquartered in Los Angeles, CA, and has affiliate offices in New York City, New York; London, United Kingdom; Beijing, China; Sydney, Australia and Tokyo, Japan.  Learn more at www.nmagrp.com.

SOURCE The NMA Group; PUMA