Usually, the ads that draw the most attention this time of year are from the Super Bowl. Adidas, however, has managed to steal some thunder with a new ad campaign that features an image of 25 pairs of women's bare breasts, reports AdWeek. The company put up the image on Twitter as a way to promote a new line of sports bras. The image, however, doesn't show the bras, only the breasts they're intended to support. "Aside from the surprise factor of the nudity, the breasts shown are only remarkable because they are completely normal," writes Rory Satran at the Wall Street Journal. "These are real breasts in all their perky, saggy, asymmetrical, varied forms."
It's not an image you can see on Facebook or a lot of other platforms because of rules about the female nipple, but Twitter has doesn't have such restrictions, notes AdWeek. The reaction on social media is widespread, from those accusing Adidas of sensationalism to those praising it for a bold move. The Adidas pitch with the campaign: "We believe women's breasts in all shapes and sizes deserve support and comfort," it says. "Which is why our new sports bra range contains 43 styles, so everyone can find the right fit for them."
A sample of the reaction:
- Praise: “I clicked on it immediately,” business consultant Cindy Gallop tells the Journal. “The range of breasts respects the full glorious range. And they have done that in a completely nonsexual context. This is an entirely justified promotion of sports bras.”
- Criticism: "It reminds me of a lecture on advertising during which a question was asked, 'How do you get someone's attention?' You show them a naked woman,'" marketing expert David Placek tells CNN. "While [the ad] does push the envelope, the problem with this strategy is that it takes away from the actual product."
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