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As Royal Challengers Bengaluru lifted their long-awaited IPL trophy in 2025, it wasn’t just the team that won — the brand did too. One of RCB’s closest partners, Puma, has had a ringside view of the brand's evolution. Virat Kohli may have officially parted ways with Puma, ending his landmark ₹110 crore deal, but his presence still looms large in the brand’s latest campaign, RCB Shotline. 

<a href="https://www.storyboard18.com/brand-makers/diageo-is-underleveraging-rcb-suhel-seth-on-royal-challengers-bengalurus-ipl-win-and-owners-branding-blind-spot-68786.htm">Read more: 'Diageo is underleveraging RCB': Suhel Seth on Royal Challengers Bengaluru's IPL win and owner's branding blind-spot</a>

His continued appearance is likely due to prior filming and possible contractual obligations tied to Puma’s long-standing partnership with the RCB franchise. While Kohli’s personal deal has ended, the brand acknowledged the collaboration warmly, calling it “an outstanding journey.”

In an interview with Storyboard18, Shreya Sachdev, Director-Marketing, PUMA India reflected on why the partnership works, how the title win will reshape the narrative, and what consumer brands can learn from RCB’s emotional branding journey.

The Alignment Wasn’t Just Cricket — It Was Culture

For Puma, picking RCB wasn’t simply about cricket. The brand evaluates partnerships through three key lenses: alignment with brand priorities, mutual value creation, and shared positioning. RCB scored high on all three.

“We are a sports brand. We exist to invest in the sporting ecosystem,” Sachdev said, adding that investing in IPL, especially in a property like RCB, was a no-brainer.

More than just sports, RCB’s values around quality, consistency, and fan-centric storytelling aligned closely with Puma’s own. The brand praised RCB for believing in “world-class experiences” and building a community with care and long-term focus.

“What impressed us,” Sachdev added, “was the fact that RCB doesn’t play safe. They’re open to pushing the envelope — in content, in merchandise, in fan engagement.”

The Title Win Changes Everything — Or Does It?

RCB fans have chanted Ee Sala Cup Namde for over a decade. Now that the cup is finally theirs, how does that change the emotional equation?

According to Sachdev, this moment is as much about the fans as it is about the team. “RCB’s journey has shown us that this is a fandom that is loyal… that sticks by the team no matter what,” they said. The question now is — what do fans want next?

Importantly, Sachdev acknowledged that the emotional narrative of RCB has largely been shaped by its fans — not marketing teams. “Ee Sala Cup Namde is not something RCB put out. It came from the fans. And that says a lot.”

Now, with both IPL and WPL titles in hand, the brand believes RCB is at an inflection point. “It’ll be interesting to see what the expectations are going forward. That long-lost dream has been fulfilled. So where does the energy go now?”

Lessons in Resilience and Relatability for All Brands

While the victory cements RCB’s place in IPL history, the real masterclass according to Sachdev has been in emotional branding.

“RCB is a masterclass in emotional branding,” Sachdev said. “The fact that they went 18 years without a title and still retained such a massive, emotionally invested fan base says everything.”

For consumer brands, there’s a deeper takeaway here. “It’s not just about performance — it’s about narrative, identity, and inclusion. The fans are part of the journey. That kind of brand relatability is gold.”

Authenticity and emotional consistency, Sachdev believes, matter more than short-term wins. “RCB shows how to build through the lows, not just the highs. And how to let your audience co-own the brand story.”

<a href="https://www.storyboard18.com/brand-makers/business-of-belief-what-rcbs-ipl-win-means-for-sports-branding-68758.htm">Read more: Business of belief: What RCB’s IPL win means for sports branding</a>

RCB is a masterclass in emotional branding, says Puma's marketing chief

Reports of Virat Kohli parting ways with Puma after eight years have surfaced, causing quite a stir and prompting the sportswear major to issue a statement. 

Commenting on the floating news about Kohli splitting with Puma, Karthik Balagopalan, Managing Director of PUMA India said, “PUMA’s relationship with Virat Kohli is long-standing and continues.” 

Reports claimed that Kohli was going to end his association with the brand after eight years. The sport star’s association with Puma began with a landmark deal valued at a Rs 110 crores back in 2017. The reports indicated that Kohli is transitioning to a new role as the face of Agilitas Sports Pvt Ltd, company founded by former Puma India Managing Director Abhishek Ganguly.

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It would have to be the stealthiest marketing activity ever involving a brand ambassador. 

The 1970 FIFA World Cup was surrounded by a lot of fanfare. It was also a time when Brazil was invincible and coloured pictures were introduced for the first time from a major multilateral event. 

Hans Henningsen, a representative of the PUMA, reached out to Pelé during the 1970 FIFA World Cup. A $25,000 offer was made to him (with an additional $100,000 in subsequent deals) to make Puma synonymous with the sport for decades.

Just seconds before Brazil and Peru's World Cup quarterfinal match began, Pelé walked straight into the middle of the field and asked for time to tie his shoes. As he bent down and grabbed the laces, millions of people around the world watched.

The thick, curved stripe was unmistakable, as was the message it silently communicated: “Pelé, the greatest living athlete at the time, was wearing Puma boots.”

Let's fast forward to 2021. 

In addition to innovating with its products, Adidas is slowly understanding the importance of marketing. With Parley's foundation, they pivot toward a more purposeful brand-building initiative - Save The Ocean. 

As part of their brand ambassador campaign, Rohit Sharma wore a new pair of shoes in every match during the 2020 IPL season.

All of these are examples of acts involving Brand Ambassadors that go beyond advertising and pitchmanship. 

Consumers are becoming more averse to advertising, so brands need to create acts that receive earned media, conversations, and chatter so that they remain top of mind. Rather than just selecting the names of one's favorite celebrities, they should invest more time in considering what to do with an Influencer.

Once, celebrities would hold the product and say things like, "Drink it.". I do!”. Today Influencer marketing has evolved beyond pitchmanship. Many celebrities are willing to co-create products with brands they endorse. FWRD (part of the REVOLVE Group) announced Kendal Jenner as their creative director recently. Justin Timberlake did the same for Budweiser Bud Light Platinum in 2013. 

Celebrities will be more willing to exchange equity with brands to offer their services as BDNOs (Brand Directors in Name Only) or CDNOs (Creative Directors in Name Only). Content creators and influencers are the ones who have cracked new-age marketing code with cult Instagram followership, reels and thumb-stopping content, personal engagement and envious feed aesthetics.

Brands are also noticing "the rise of OTT stars". 

Stars like Rohit Saraf, Divyendu Sharma, and Vikram Massey from Netflix and Amazon Prime would be ideal for brands that appeal to younger audiences. The Souled Store, Misfit by boAt, and H&M are among the brands they've already endorsed. 

But their popularity still can’t be matched to that of the mega-stars. However, I doubt what mega-stars can contribute to a brand with the highest top-of-mind recall in its category. 

The brand should stay away from getting a mega-star if awareness is not an issue. There is always a misattribution risk associated with bigger stars since their ads run simultaneously for brands across several categories.

Sushant Sharma is brand manager of boAt. Views expressed are personal.