Adidas asked to scrap bullring ad

Adidas asked to scrap bullring ad
02 November 2011

ICABS has joined calls on Adidas to drop a bullfighting-themed TV advert which shows a basketball player in a Spanish bullring.

The ad, which was filmed in the Plaza de Toros de Las Ventas bullring in Madrid, can be viewed below.

A strong complaint has also been made to the company about a "matador-inspired" Adidas track top and shorts.

The Torero Superstar Track Top "fuses the legendary track jacket style of the adidas Superstar with the matador's flamboyant 'suit of lights'" while the Adidas Torero Shorts are "inspired by the flamboyant style of the matador's 'suit of lights'" and contain "matador-inspired embroidery, tassels, sequins and crystals".

Dress to kill: The Adidas Torero track top and shorts which the company says are "matador-inspired"

In an email to the Adidas head office, ICABS stated: "We wish to express our great disappointment and disgust at your new bullfighting-themed commercial which shows a basketball player in a bullring. It is absolutely incredible that Adidas would jeopardise its international image by associating with bullfighting - one of the world's most horrendous acts of cruelty. It is also extremely surprising that your company would deem it appropriate to produce and market 'matador-inspired' products."

"Surely Adidas is aware of the fact that bullfighting is opposed by a majority of people around the world, most of whom would surely share our view that using an animal cruelty theme in a marketing campaign is in very poor taste indeed," we added.

ACTION ALERT

The International Movement Against Bullfights (www.iwab.org) asks you to urgently contact Adidas and demand that they scrap the offensive advert and product range. If the bullring ad prompts you to boycott all Adidas products, please make this clear in your correspondence.

Adidas Headquarters
Adi-Dassler-Strasse 1
D-91074 Herzogenaurach
Germany
Tel: +49 (0) 9132 84-0
Fax: +49 (0) 9132 84-2241

Email Adidas Now: corporate.press@adidas-group.com,jan.runau@adidas-group.com, katja.schreiber@adidas-group.com,sara.sikora@adidas-group.com,frank.thomas@adidas-group.com,inken.schermann@adidas-group.com, slvrstore@adidas.com,consumer.relations@adidas.com

SAMPLE LETTER
(If you have time, please compose your own personal, polite letter.)

Dear Sir/Madam, I am one of the majority of citizens in Europe and around the world opposed to bullfighting. I am contacting you to strongly complain about the Adidas bullfight-themed advert which features a basketball player in a bullring. Using an animal cruelty theme to market an Adidas product is in very poor taste and is likely to alienate the millions of people around the world who view bullfighting as unacceptable. I also wish to register my disbelief that Adidas has produced 'matador-inspired' track tops and shorts. Considering the violence and cruelty of matadors, it is incredible that you would choose these despicable characters as inspiration for Adidas products. Please disassociate from bullfighting and immediately drop the offensive marketing campaign and product range. Thank you. I look forward to your response. Yours sincerely, [Name/Location]

A basketball player and a bullfighter in the controversial Adidas ad, which has been aired on American TV.

Video: Bullfighting cruelty

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Bullfighting: More information

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