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After Samsung released a campaign last summer featuring a woman running confidently alone at night, Adidas has debuted a similar ad calling out the “ridiculous” measures some take to feel safe while exercising on city streets.
The Samsung ad, “Night Owls,” drew an angry response, with critics saying it didn’t reflect the dangers faced by women. The U.K.’s Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) also received 27 complaints calling the ad “irresponsible” and “harmful.”
The Adidas campaign, an iteration of its longstanding “Impossible Is Nothing” campaign dubbed “I’m Possible,” aims to educate men on their behavior and drive change. The ad is part of Adidas’ commitment to women, which began in February 2022.
According to a survey of 9,000 women across nine countries through the Adidas Running app, 69% have taken specific precautions to feel safe including wearing loose clothing and running with someone they think could protect them. The research was conducted as part of Adidas’ With Women We Run initiative.
Other findings from the research included 92% of women feeling concerned for their safety while running, with 51% afraid of being attacked, compared to 28% of men. Over a third (38%) of women also said they had experienced physical or verbal harassment, with more than half (55%) having received sexist comments or other unwanted sexual attention; 50% also said they had been followed while running.
As a result of experiencing harassment, 46% said they had lost interest in running, compared to 33% of men.
“We believe sport should be equal, and safety is essential to creating that reality. We know from our communities, and our research, that safety is the most discussed topic when it comes to women and running—and unfortunately women continue to be made responsible for protecting themselves,” explained Sina Neubrandt, global communications director for Adidas Women.
“Addressing this issue is a marathon, not a sprint, and our campaign will not solve this overnight. But if we can encourage more men to understand their role as allies, we can create progress and, hopefully, change,” she added.
Adidas has also teamed with the global White Ribbon Campaign, which promotes men’s engagement as allies in ending gender-based violence and discrimination.