Pelé was the Brazilian footballer who endorsed Puma during the 1970 World Cup.
The deal became one of sports marketing’s most famous stunts. Before the tournament, Adidas and Puma representatives had reportedly agreed to the “Pelé Pact,” promising not to sign the world’s most famous footballer in order to avoid an expensive bidding war. Puma ultimately broke the agreement and signed Pelé.
Before Brazil’s quarter-final against Peru, Pelé asked the referee for a moment to tie his boots. Television cameras focused on him as he displayed the Puma King boots, giving Puma enormous global exposure. The company reportedly paid Pelé $120,000 for the shoelace episode, in addition to a share of Puma King sales.
Pelé’s endorsement is sometimes confused with ordinary player sponsorship, but this was also a major episode in the long-running business rivalry between Adidas and Puma, companies founded by feuding brothers Adolf and Rudolf Dassler.