Sometimes brands make a bit of a booby when it comes to creating ads, and sometimes, as in the case of Adidas and their latest campaign, the booby makes the ad. 

On 9th February 2022, the sportswear brand released a new advert for their new sports bra collection. Taking to Twitter, they shared a mosaic of 25 different pairs of bare breasts, of all shapes, sizes and skin tones, as part of their messaging around how the human body should be normalised in all its many variations. 

“We believe women’s breasts in all shapes and sizes deserve support and comfort,” the post read. “Which is why our new sports bra range contains 43 styles, so everyone can find the right fit for them.”

They also linked out to the new collection, alongside the hashtag #SupportIsEverything and the campaign almost immediately went viral. The photo — a censored version of which was also posted on Instagram — has drummed up a big reaction across social media. At the time of writing, the Twitter post has almost 30,000 likes and 10,000 quote tweets. And for the most part, people are celebrating the empowering message. 

One Twitter user wrote: “This is major. Well done Adidas!”, while another added, “As a father of two daughters that played sports this is way overdue. Thank you. A lot of girls give up sports because they can’t find the right fit to stay comfortable.”

Adidas have been responding both individually and generally to feedback on the ad, commenting in a sub-tweet: “It’s important to normalize [sic] the human body and help inspire future generations to feel confident and unashamed. We want future generations to feel body-confident, which is why this gallery is so important to share." 

The brand also explained that it followed Twitter’s social media guidelines and would be further sharing the uncensored photos on its website and on billboards around the country.

Not everyone was entirely on board with the campaign, however (because when was the last time women's bare bodies didn't cause such polarisation on the internet?). To one such comment – which we won't repeat here – Adidas replied:

“We want to celebrate bodies in all their glory and proudly showcase how different we all are.”

Another Twitter user responded, writing: “I’m all for boobies and positivity but like … what [is Adidas] selling? Shouldn’t it at least show how [the brand’s] ‘body positive’ bras support all different kinds of boobies? Or is this just another shock ad designed only to generate revenue by using women’s bodies? exhausting.”

Adidas has not yet responded to the comment, but its campaign has gone to lengths to highlight just how the brand is supporting women, from the fact that its ad shows the markings that sports bras can leave behind after being worn – thereby bringing attention to the prolonged issues of sports bras’ fit and function – to the stats around how many women are not wearing bras that are properly supporting them. 

According to the brand, breasts can experience the same G force as an F1 driver if not properly supported during running, and approximately 23.5 million women have skipped a workout all together because of a lack of confidence in their sports bra working properly or being uncomfortable.

In short, at its core, this Adidas campaign is not about freeing the nipple, it's instead about being mindful of exactly how we're covering it up. It's not just about throwing on anything without thinking, it's about catering and caring for our specific brand of boob, and feeling all the more comfortable and supported for it.

And that is a message we can definitely get on board with it. 

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