Rihanna appointed as Puma's women's creative director in bid to boost sales

German sportswear giant Puma have named pop star Rihanna as its women's creative director on Tuesday, in a bid to boost sales for the company by tapping into the booming market for female leisure gear.

Puma said in a statement that the multi-year deal starting in January would involve Rihanna becoming the face of the women's training category, joining celebrities like Olympic champion sprinter Usain Bolt as brand ambassador.

Puma has been spending heavily on marketing, including a kit deal with English soccer team Arsenal and a big advertising drive, as it seeks to make up ground lost in recent years to market leader Nike and German rival Adidas, Sport24 reported.

Puma Chief Executive Bjorn Gulden said that finding a top name for women's training was important to complement the brand's strength in football, running and motorsport.

Gulden said that Rihanna was a natural choice for them, adding that her global profile, her charisma and individuality, her ambition, all these things make her a perfect ambassador for their brand.

Puma said that Rihanna would directly influence product collections from next year, and would be involved in consumer and retail events as well as social media content.

The company, which did not give any financial details for the deal, is seeking to tap into fast-growing sales of sports-inspired fashion for women, the report added.