Puma is addressing social issues in a new campaign “inspired by Olympian Tommie Smith, and his ‘Silent Gesture’ that sparked global debate around the issues of civil rights and universal equality at the 1968 Mexico City Olympics,” according to Puma’s spokespeople.
Rapper Meek Mill was selected for advocating prison reform after being locked up for probation violations. WNBA Star Skylar Diggins-Smith, on the other hand, was tapped for advocating gender equality in asking for the Women’s National Basketball Association to raise the pay.
Puma will also use the 50th anniversary of Smith’s silent gesture at the 1968 Olympics on Oct. 16 to challenge others on social media to the #THIRDSALUTE movement in which individuals post an image of themselves with their fist raised in the air, according to Bleacher Report.
Puma isn’t the only apparel company that’s tackling social issues, as recently, Nike released a campaign which headlined Serena Williams and Colin Kaepernick. It’s refreshing to see the two apparel companies stand up for injustices around the world in a friendly competitive way.
