Before the Win

How Puma makes effort—not victory—the most powerful moment in sport.

Author

Javier García
January 06, 2026 • Estimated Reading Time: 6 minutes

In partnership with

Introduction

Welcome to another exciting week!

Table of Contents

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Best Ad of the Week

Puma – “See the Effort” (2025 Global Campaign)

Puma’s “See the Effort” flips sports advertising away from the winning moment and onto everything just before it. The ad never shows a finish line. Instead, it lingers on effort itself: heavy breathing before a sprint, shaking legs after a missed lift, hands chalked but still hesitating. Faces are tired, not triumphant. Only at the end do we see movement resume. The line appears simply: “This is what it looks like.”

Key marketing lessons

• Shift the spotlight from results to reality
Puma validates the invisible part of sport, making effort itself the hero.

• Authenticity beats perfection
Sweat, doubt and hesitation feel more motivating than flawless performance.

• Meet the audience where they are
Most people live in the middle of the journey, not at the podium. This campaign speaks directly to them.

• Emotion through restraint
No music drop, no climax. The honesty of the moments carries the message.

• Brand through attitude, not slogans
Puma positions itself as the brand that understands the grind, not just the glory.

A reminder that motivation doesn’t always come from seeing what’s possible. Sometimes it comes from recognising exactly where you are.

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Weekly Tip

Design for Decision-Making

Good content doesn’t just inform. It helps people decide faster.

• Reduce options to the one that matters most
• Present information in a clear order of importance
• Remove anything that delays the next step

When your content supports a decision, not just understanding, it becomes far more valuable.

Weekly Challenge

Content Shelf Life Test

This week, focus on how long your content stays useful:

• Create one post designed to be relevant for at least six months, not tied to trends or news
• Make it practical and specific so someone could save it and use it later
• Publish it alongside your usual content
• After a few days, compare saves and shares against trend based posts

Evergreen content compounds over time and often becomes your quiet growth engine.

Submissions + Feedback

Hope you enjoyed today’s post, if you know someone who may be interested, feel free to send it to them.

Also, if you want me to cover any specific subject on the next issue or share some feedback, feel free to reply to this email.

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