Adidas Tweeted 25 Pairs of Bare Breasts to Launch a Campaign for Inclusive Sports Bras

The topic of breast health and its correlating imagery remain fairly taboo—and in some cases, outright banned—within marketing and media. However, sportswear giant Adidas is boldly tackling the issue with a campaign for its reengineered line of sports bras—starting with a tweet that unapologetically shows the wide range of shapes and sizes found in breasts. Instead of just showing the 43 new styles found in its sports bra collection, Adidas tweeted a composite image showing 25 pairs of bare breasts. While most social networks and media placements would have prohibited the image for violating nudity guidelines, Twitter has no such prohibition, making it the ideal platform for the kickoff announcement. https://twitter.com/adidas/status/1491411609180327942?s=20&t=_SOlwUOxxyYRKFuXKF9MhA The tweet quickly generated a vocal and polarized response, ranging from applause and appreciation to amusement and aversion. "WELL DONE @adidas!" wrote ad industry equality advocate Cindy Gallop. "What I want to know now is, will @Facebook and @Instagram allow you to run this, when we #sextech and #femtech female founders are banned from any kind of open, healthy, educational advertising or content, let alone pics of nipples?" 'A significant undertaking with an all-female team' “There is a sizeable data gap when it comes to sports bra development, so we worked with experts in breast health [at] University of Portsmouth to challenge ourselves and drive forward our innovation to better meet the needs of our female athletic community," said Amy Charlton, senior director of product at Adidas. "It was a significant undertaking with an all-female team of designers, testers and experts, and we hope this collection will help more sports bra wearers experience the benefits of added support and a better fit, and not be held back when doing the sports they love.” In addition to the attention-grabbing tweet and promotional images showing the new sports bras being worn by those with an array of body types, Adidas will run an out-of-home campaign calling out the downsides of a poorly fitting sports bra. The outdoor ad images will show the markings that sports bras can leave behind when they aren't properly sized for the wearer, highlighting the prolonged issues of fit and function, the brand stated. “My sports bra is the first piece of kit I consider when I’m training because when it isn’t right, it throws meoff and I lose focus," said Olympic athlete and Adidas brand ambassador Mikaela Shiffrin in a statement. "Sports bras are a foundational piece of kit, but it’s not one size fits all—my training is varied and involves cardio, yoga and strength training, so having the right performance product that is tailored for each of these is key." The new collection consists of 43 new styles across 18 product franchises and is available in an inclusive size range to help more women experience sports without restraint. The collection offers support for a variety of activities, from lounging to high-impact exercise. The product groupings include "Studio" for low-to-mid intensity movement, "Train" for more intense activity, and "Run" to provide the highest level of support. Opening a conversation Although Adidas is making bold imagery statements on Twitter, brands like Womanizer, which centers on non-male pleasure and wellness, are often faced with censorship on social platforms. As restrictive social media policies and related censorships continue they ultimately serve as serious roadblocks for individuals and communities trying to access an educative and expressive space. The brand not only hopes to facilitate that space by partnering with breast health professionals, but by highlighting the realness of breasts and damaging effects breasts can endure. "With the impact of breast movement in sport not regularly discussed, Adidas has partnered with Professor Joanna Wakefield-Scurr, head of the Research Group in Breast Health at the University of Portsmouth, to help shine a light on why sufficient breast support during exercise is crucial, and the damaging effects of not wearing the right sports bra," Charlton said in a statement. The new redesigned Bra Collection is available worldwide on Feb. 14 on the brand's website, in stores and via the adidas app, with early access rolling out today. This Adult Toy Brand Turned Its Social Media Ban Into a Campaign Against Sexist Policies