Source: adidas reimagines sport with the launch of its all-new women’s collection
Everyone in retail at the premium end has seen the dramatic slowdown in the sale of adidas footwear and gear. When adidas saw its biggest growth from 2014-17 it happened with a combination of exciting product and incredible marketing campaigns. I monitor the marketing of all of the brands, but adidas changed the way I view marketing during their run where they won a Grand Prix in marketing and delivered a rebellious, counter-culture that resonated with both youth culture and anyone who ran across the ads.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rMwshHLwf3Y
At a time where Lizzo has been the primary point of contention for how women should view themselves, no other brand except indie startup Lola Getts, doubled down on the fact that women are plus sized and proud, and fit and becoming fitter. Fitness has to start somewhere and the issues with body shaming contributes more to trepidation in beginning a fitness routine than any other issue. In the Reimagine Sport video above adidas utilizes Kiran Gandhi’s “Top Knot Turn Up” as the theme song for women of all shapes and backgrounds who get shit done and it’s a perfect 1 minute exercise in the celebration of feminine ingenuity and power. I state ingenuity as a reference to the lyric: “Tie My Hair Back So Their Ain’t Nothing Stoppin’ Me.” If you read or watched A Series of Unfortunate Events you get the allusion.
The use of Jessamyn Stanley in this photo shoot and campaign at a time where adidas is about to double down on Beyonce and Ivy Park is a smart play. Society is used to seeing fit White women, but Black women are only fine when they have flowing permed hair and aspire to European beauty standards much in the way that Beyonce looks. To deviate for a moment the Black hair care and beauty industry is a multi-billion dollar business that isn’t owned by Blacks. One of the biggest reasons for Black women ‘not’ working out can be attributed to their hair. Jessamyn sports a natural low cut hair style here which doesn’t have to be tied in a bun, like the song suggests, but definitely shows that she’s ready to take on the challenge in the gym.
I know there are other women in this campaign. I’m intentionally overlooking them to focus on one person here. Jessamyn is the anti-Beyonce and in many ways she is a much more important to adidas than Ivy Park. She and other women who look like her should be much more important as the reality is most U.S. women have more in common with Jessamyn than Beyonce and inspiring that woman to join the fitness community is more important than selling cute clothes for IG. Check out the video and use the source link to read more about the campaign.
I shouldn’t have to say kudos to adidas because they used a dark skinned, plus sized athlete in their marketing. This shouldn’t be an anomaly. All brands should take note.