Adidas Defends Bare Breasts Creative as Regulator Bans Ads

Earlier this year, Adidas caused a stir with a series of ads which used bare breasts and nipples to promote its new sports bra range comprising 43 different styles and 72 sizes. The “Support Is Everything” push was first unveiled as a billboard at Adidas’ Germany headquarters as a photo gallery featuring dozens of breasts—from old to young, breastfeeding to breast cancer survivor. At the time, the creative split opinion, with some commentators pitting it as groundbreaking and others claiming it was “objectification sold as liberation.” Since its launch, the ad has run globally online and in posters throughout Europe, including in the U.K. Now, following 24 complaints, the campaign has been banned in the U.K by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) for featuring explicit nudity in settings where it could likely be seen by children. Adidas said in a statement that it “proudly stands by the creative.” Too explicit for kids? The regulator investigated a tweet from Adidas’ account which showed 25 pairs of bare breasts as well as two posters; one of which showed 62 pairs of completely nude breasts and a similar execution featuring pixelated nipples. https://twitter.com/adidas/status/1491411609180327942?s=20&t=K8mJYXIKd5ZS2q-u7Dd2uw There were two main grievances the watchdog considered. The first challenged whether Adidas’ use of nudity was harmful or objectified women by sexualizing them or “reducing them to body parts.” The second issue centered around whether the posters had been displayed in areas that were appropriate for display where they could be viewed by kids. Adidas said the ads were not intended to be gratuitous but designed instead to reflect the diversity of breast shapes and sizes. It also said it hadn’t placed the ads near schools or religious venues, acknowledging the risk of using nudity for commercial reasons. It also didn’t believe the ads would cause distress to children. Though the ASA agreed with the brand that the ads weren’t sexual or objectifying, it said the ads had not been targeted carefully enough based on their explicitness. It also upheld the second complaint, saying the ads were likely to cause “widespread” offense in the media, particularly where they could be seen by minors. Adidas has been warned not to run the ads in the U.K and to ensure it targeted “responsibly” in the future. Adidas responds In response, Adidas has reiterated to Adweek its belief that “everybody in sport deserves to be supported.” A spokesperson added: “The gallery creative was designed to show just how diverse breasts are, featuring different shapes and sizes that highlight why tailored support is paramount.” The representative continued: “It is important to note that the ASA ruling was related to this creative being used in an untargeted fashion[...] rather than the creative itself and the message, which we stand proudly behind, and it is exhibited on adidas.com.” When it launched the campaign, Adidas highlighted the issues surrounding the censorship of women’s bodies on social media platforms such as Instagram and Facebook where images featuring women’s nipples are banned but showing men’s is acceptable. Other advertisers including baby brand Tommy Tippee have come up against this problem, with grassroots movements like #FreeTheNipple still trying to normalize images of breasts and untangle them from sexualization. Adidas Tweeted 25 Pairs of Bare Breasts to Launch a Campaign for Inclusive Sports Bras

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Adidas Defends Bare Breasts Creative as UK Regulator Bans Ads

The sports bra campaign featured 62 uncensored images of the body part

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Rebecca Stewart