Africa gets new football kits

Puma created new kits for African teams ahead of the 2012 African Cup of Nations. At first sight, it looks exciting. Up close, the designers stuck to conservative.

Photo credit: Puma.

It is (sort of ) a nice project. Puma Creative invited ten artists to design a new football kit that ‘celebrates Africa’s unique visual identity and culture’, with a strip for each of the partnering African national football teams: Algeria, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Gabon, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Namibia, Senegal, South Africa and Togo. The launch happened this week in London and the kits look alright when they are on, and from far away.

But up close, the 10 artists stuck to the format: for Ivory Coast we’ve got an elephant with a really long trunk across the chest.

For Cameroon, a nice Lion-King style graphic; about as impressive as a weak roar.

For Namibia, well, it is hot there, so it’s a sun and a football.

Cameroon and South Africa aren’t even in the 2012 tournament, so not sure why they got a kit.

In the weird friendships between corporations and cultural institutions, the Design Museum in London is hosting an exhibition called ‘Interpretations of Africa: Football, Art and Design’, which sounds more like an excuse for Puma to show off their new ‘collaboration’ with local artists.

All in all- a nice colorful kit, but not much else going on. Hopefully football skills will compensate.

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