PUMA: Play The City

In the UAE, street cricket is more than just a game—it’s all about passion and a love for play that keeps going, no matter what. With Play The City, PUMA has built a bond with this community, celebrating the resilience and teamwork of players who come together every weekend to turn the UAE’s streets into cricket grounds.

Each weekend, around 20,000 residents gather at over 2,000 locations across the UAE, creating a cherished tradition that thrives outside mainstream sports. Through Play The City, PUMA brings these unsung heroes into the spotlight, honoring the strong bonds and dedication that define street cricket culture.

The campaign kicks off with a two-part docuseries, capturing the lives, passion, and relentless dedication of the UAE's top street cricket teams: United Pro XI, Dubai Commandos, Blitz Boss Royals, Little Masters, Hashmi CC, and OGS X1.

In street cricket, there’s no scoreboard, no umpires, and the equipment is improvised—taped-up tennis balls replace cricket balls, and protective gear is swapped for sheer love of the game. Some players wake as early as 3 a.m. to secure a spot by dawn, adapting to the challenges of an urban landscape with few open spaces. From parking lots to sandy corners, they transform whatever ground they find into their pitch, whether in sportswear or traditional attire.

To celebrate this drive, PUMA created jerseys inspired by the players' own stories and the unique pitches they play on. These jerseys show the players' commitment to street cricket, giving them a sense of ownership and pride. To empower them further, PUMA collaborated with Google Street View to make these pitch locations official, giving each team a place of their own on one of the world’s busiest platforms.

This campaign launch also marked the introduction of PUMA cricket gear in Dubai and the opening of a new BurJuman store, with a dedicated cricket section, on October 18, 2024.

See more work by M&C Saatchi Group here.