Adidas' bare breast campaign to promote its sports bras sparks heated debate online

• Adidas' image of 25 sets of bare breasts has sparked controversy online.
• The image was used in its ad to promote its new sports bra collection for women.

Adidas' campaign to promote its new sports bra collection sparked a heated debate online among social media users this week.

The new campaign, which was rolled out on some of its social media pages on Wednesday, shows a grid of 25 sets of women's bare breasts.

In a comment alongside the image, the company said: "We believe women's breasts in all shapes and sizes deserve support and comfort. Which is why our new sports bra range contains 43 styles, so everyone can find the right fit for them."

A post shared by adidas Women (@adidaswomen)

Some social media users took instant offense to these images, describing them as "explicit" and "insulting" and threatening to never shop with the brand again.

Others said that the ad was inappropriate for children who follow the brand online.

"Are you freaking kidding me with this post? You know how many kids follow you? I will never buy another product after this," one Twitter user said.

"This is distasteful and off putting," another wrote.

Adidas responded to some of the more critical comments on Twitter, saying: "We want to celebrate bodies in all their glory and proudly showcase how different we all are."

In a statement to Insider, a spokesperson for Adidas said: "The gallery was designed to show just how diverse breasts are, featuring different shapes and sizes that highlight why tailored support is paramount."

Many social media users celebrated the new campaign and congratulated the brand for promoting body positivity in its ads.

"Keep pushing boundaries, and showing people that breasts are breasts, they aren't a sexual object just because men say so! They're for feeding babies, not making them!" one user said.

But others pointed out that while the ad might be body inclusive, its sports bra sizing is not in all cases. While Adidas does offer up to a 4X (cup size G) on certain sports bras, these larger sizes are not available on all styles.

"You can have all the diverse imagery in the world. But if the product isn't backing up what we're seeing in those images, then it's a failed campaign," Cora Harrington, founder and editor of the blog the Lingerie Addict, told The Post.