Women have always had to break barriers to receive the things that were meant for them. They’ve long been required to forcefully take the things that they had already earned. These inequalities are slowly and systematically being addressed. Many exterior industries that orbit traditional structures are taking part in the fight. Adidas, to its credit, is speaking out — and very loudly — in protest of these injustices.
Last night, during Sunday Night Football, adidas debuted its triggering She Breaks Barries film — a short yet impactful clip that vehemently speaks to the lack of access for women in sports and the derogatory stereotypes that accompany female athletes in modern-day.
The short film, narrated by well-known champion of the fairer sex, Pharrell Williams, emphatically calls for the proper respect and subsequent embrace of women in sports. It stands in opposition to toxic masculinity, and demands men break poor traditions and stand for something better; to stand for and with our fellow woman.
The carefully curated visual references elder news clips of men wrongfully denouncing women in sports and the power that they hold within it. More intimately, using Williams’ monotone voice as a vessel, sharply shoots down the notion that those clips were ever accurate. Even better, the short represents an antiquated thought process that never once held truth, only the illusion of it.
While the film only spans one minute in length, its engaging and tremendously biting message lingers for a much longer frame of time. Adidas, putting its full weight behind the short clip, highlights the likes of Candace Parker, Lindsey Horan, Chiney Ogwumike, Nora Vasconcellos, and Alix Klineman.
“We believe that through sport, we have the power to change lives. As a brand we want everyone to have equal access to sport,” reinforced Eric Liedtke, adidas Group Executive Board Member and Head of Global Brands. “Unfortunately, research tells us girls today are 1.5x more likely than boys to drop out of sport. This is unacceptable as we know that sport builds confidence, ensuring that female athletes win on and off the field.”
Adidas’ She Breaks Barriers campaign is ongoing and will speak to gender inequality in sports throughout 2019.
