Adidas (ADDYY) wants women to feel good about their breasts, no matter what shape or size they may be. That's not a new idea -- Dove (UN) (UL) has used a variation of that marketing concept for years in its ads -- but the sneaker company chose a bold way to kick off its body-positive campaign.
The internet, as you may have noticed, has its fair share of nudity. You may not expect to see topless women in your Twitter (TWTR) feed as shared by a sneaker and sports-apparel company.
That's what happened on Feb. 9 as Adidas shared an image showing 25 different shirtless women as a way to market its new line of sports bras.
"We believe women’s breasts in all shapes and sizes deserve support and comfort. Which is why our new sports bra range contains 43 styles, so everyone can find the right fit for them," the company shared in a social media post.
It's a message of inclusiveness and body positivity that taken at face value should be considered a positive. It was also Adidas using a lot of nudity to get your attention.
Adidas
Adidas Wants Your Attention
Advertising/marketing campaigns often walk a fine line between attention-getting and exploitative. If you show a maybe underage-looking, but actually 25-year-old, model in a jeans commercial, that's provocative and maybe on either side of the line when it comes to tasteful.
Putting the same jeans on people made to look as if they had just been killed in a car crash using the tagline "so stylish, they look good no matter how you feel" would get attention, but it would also clearly cross a line.
Adidas has clearly embraced a positive message designed to make women feel good about its new sports bra line. The company obviously also knew that its choice of images would spark a mix of acceptance and outrage (or perhaps manufactured outrage).
The company further explained its motivation in a follow-up tweet.
"It’s important to normalize the human body and help inspire future generations to feel confident and unashamed,” Adidas posted. “We want future generations to feel body-confident, which is why this gallery is so important to share.”
Adidas also made clear that it has fully followed Twitter's guidelines (something evidenced by the post not being taken down). It also said it planned to share the topless images on its website and on billboards around the country.
Adidas Knows What It's Doing
It's not wrong for a company to court controversy or look for attention in order to sell products. Adidas created this campaign with the idea that it would cause certain people to swoon and say, "well, I never" or "won't somebody think of the children?"
The company may be using attention-getting tactics, but it's doing so for a needed reason.
"A sports bra is the single most important piece of workout apparel for those with breasts, but 90% of women aren’t wearing the right size. That’s why we’ve re-engineered our entire portfolio with 43 new styles, available in 72 sizes, catering to more bodies and workouts than ever before," the company shared in a news release.
Adidas has actually put in the work to help design sports bras that solve problems that women experience not just while running but even walking. The company noted that wearing a properly fitted sports bra reduces movement-related breast pain.
“There is a sizeable data gap when it comes to sports bra development, so we worked with experts in breast health and biomechanics, University of Portsmouth, to challenge ourselves and drive forward our innovation to better meet the needs of our female athletic community,” said Adidas Senior Product Director Amy Charlton.
