PUMA hip hop 50

Historical Worldbuilding, Legacy Storytelling, and Generational Narrative Design

As Hip Hop approached its 50th anniversary, the question was not whether PUMA belonged in the conversation. The history already existed. The real work was articulating that legacy in a way that felt lived-in, reverent, and alive.

My role was to help shape a narrative that honored Hip Hop not as a moment, but as a continuum.

We built a campaign rooted in lineage. One that moved through the literal and digital streets that have shaped the sound for five decades. The writing traced footsteps left by pioneers, sat with the present moment, and made space for the future. Treating each timeline as collaborators rather than as competing chapters.

The language carried both memory and momentum. It resisted nostalgia for nostalgia’s sake and instead focused on how style, sound, and self-expression continue to evolve while staying true to their Sedgwick Ave roots.

The result was a story that positioned PUMA as both a witness and a participant in Hip Hop. A brand that understands legacy is not claimed, it is lived.

Impact: A multi-platform campaign that honored Hip Hop’s 50-year journey while inspiring those up next. The work reinforced PUMA’s long-standing relationship with the sound and positioned the brand as authentically embedded in the story, not reacting to it.

Copywriter: Shada Cook

Senior Art Director: Claudio Garcia

Agency: Burrell Communications