Global sports brand Puma has announced the signing of the Korean boy group NCT 127 as an ambassador for the Asia-Pacific (APAC).
NCT 127 will become Puma’s ambassador in APAC and will be active in 15 different Asian and Oceanian countries. Its selection to represent Puma in APAC contributes to the spread of the Korean wave centered on the rising trend of K-Pop worldwide.
“NCT 127 is a renowned K-Pop boy group that has gained great popularity with the younger generation across APAC, including Japan, China, Singapore, and Thailand. NCT 127 was selected as the ambassador in consideration of the rapidly emerging status of K-Culture around the world,” a Puma official said.
They also added, “Based on the strong influence, passion, and creativity of NCT 127, we plan to conduct various campaigns and communicate with fans and consumers all across APAC, overall, increasing our brand value.”
Meanwhile, an official of SM Entertainment said, “Collaborating with the world-famous sports brand Puma is very meaningful to NCT 127, and through this great opportunity, we will reflect a more diverse side of ourselves, along with Puma.”
NCT 127’s group name 127 indicates the longitude of Seoul. It means they are a team based in the home of K-Pop, though they are active on the global stage across Asia, the Americas, Europe, and other regions.
The group has released a number of hit songs, including “Hero (英雄; Kick It),” “Sticker,” “Regular,” “Cherry Bomb,” and “Highway to Heaven,” gaining global popularity for their unique music and overwhelming performances.
With their third full-length album released in 2021, they sold over 3.64 million copies and became a triple million seller, entering third place on the US Billboard’s main album chart Billboard 200 and then charting for seventeen consecutive weeks. This is the highest ranking and longest-lasting chart entry among K-Pop albums released in 2021, once again highlighting the global popularity of NCT 127.
NCT 127 has also entered the Official Albums Chart Top 100, the main official music chart of the United Kingdom, as well as various global music charts in countries such as Germany, Australia, Japan, and China.
In addition, NCT 127 is meeting with fans around the world through its second world tour. The event started last year, beginning in Korea and then moving onto a dome tour in Japan with a 220,000 audience. Also, the consecutive concert tickets in Singapore were all sold-out. NCT 127 also had a fan meeting in Japan on August 2 and 3. They plan to appea on “SM Town Live” on August 20, 2022.
In the meantime, NCT 127 began its activities as Puma’s APAC Ambassador, starting with the Slipstream campaign on July 29. Launched in 1987, the Puma Slipstream is an iconic sneaker that best represents the brand’s heritage, featuring a classic basketball silhouette redefined with modern sensibilities, mixing leather and suede materials to suggest a premium look.