ADIDAS

The world of sport is unequal. Seeking to confront this unjust reality, adidas is taking action to level the playing field - starting with tackling gender inequality.

Systemic barriers, from lack of access and representation to cultural stigma and self-doubt, mean that women and girls are too often left on the sidelines. Across Europe, girls and young women routinely drop out of sport at a greater rate than boys of the same age. Gender inequity in sport not only holds back women and girls, but has a negative ripple effect across society.

Breaking down these barriers lays the foundations of a fairer, healthier, and more prosperous world for everyone. Contributing to solving this global challenge brings the adidas organizational purpose to life, and better builds a sustainable, purposeful brand that consumers and fans are calling for. adidas tasked our team at 17 Sport to respond to this challenge.

We have designed and are implementing a pan-European gender equity program focused on building the capacity of the sports industry in Europe to better serve women and girls. In collaboration with experts in gender equity and sport, Common Goal, Women Win, and Soccer Without Borders, the project kicked off in early 2020 and is set to run until at least 2025. 

After analyzing the primary barriers faced by many women and girls, we developed a strategy to support local partners on the ground who are dismantling these barriers across Europe. We are building and supporting an ecosystem of 15 sport nonprofits across Europe who are committed to boosting gender equity in their organizations. We are recruiting over 100 local role models and coaches - the Breaking Barriers Champions - and providing a comprehensive leadership training pathway so they can positively influence the lives of 50,000 women and girls.

With our partners, we have created tools that provide the sports industry with the necessary resources to lead change, including the Breaking Barriers Academy and the Breaking Barriers Innovation Lab - a 6-month incubator for tech-based projects supporting greater access to sports for women and girls.

THE BREAKING BARRIERS ACADEMY | Be part of the change.

JEA ZAPATA | adidas Breaking Barriers Champion

Securing the sustained and meaningful change needed to build a more inclusive and equal future requires everyone to act. It was therefore crucial to provide the wider sports industry with a tool to kick start or deepen their journey in gender equity. To serve this goal, in collaboration with our expert partners, we built and launched the Breaking Barriers Academy - a self-paced digital curriculum for anyone looking to increase their understanding of gender equity and inclusion in sports. 

With three modules that cover equity and inclusion in organizations, on the sidelines, and on the pitch, this ever-evolving toolkit helps leaders, coaches, and athletes create safer spaces for women and girls in their communities. It will be continuously revised to incorporate current best practice, as well as new topics and language translations, to help the global community adapt these learnings to their individual and local circumstances. 

adidas holds a place of leadership within the sports industry - when they talk, people listen. To help adidas leverage this platform in the name of gender equity, we designed and delivered a communications campaign, launched on International ‘Women’s Day, to promote the Breaking Barriers Project. 

The #LetsBreakBarriers campaign tells the stories of the inspiring Breaking Barriers Champions – the girls and women who are driving impact within their communities. A rallying call for collaborative action, the campaign is aspirational and solution-focused - in line with the brand sentiment that impossible is nothing. 

The 17 Sport Creative Service team were responsible for the delivery of the full campaign, from the creative concept through to production and roll-out. Deliverables included designing the campaign landing page, drafting key messaging, scripting and producing a series of films, and creating four Instagram Reels for adidas London, Spain, Denmark and Italy. We collaborated with world class athletes, including Manchester United and England footballer Alessia Russo, Arsenal footballer Kim Little, and England Rugby player Rachael Burford.

MARIELLA TRENTO | adidas Breaking Barriers Champion

LEANNE BATES | adidas Breaking Barriers Champion

MAYMI ASGARI | adidas Breaking Barriers Champion

Despite the challenges brought about by COVID-19 throughout the first two years of the adidas Breaking Barriers Project, great strides were made in achieving our objectives. By collaborating with inspiring champions and dedicated nonprofits committed to making a change, the program is reaching over 22,000 women and girls across 9 European countries. This is just the beginning.

CHAMPIONS

We have engaged 51 Champions who act as role models for gender equity in their communities.

NONPROFITS

We are supporting 15 sports nonprofits as they boost gender equity in their organizations.

COUNTRIES

The program is currently active in 9 European countries, including Spain, Denmark, and Italy.

WOMEN AND GIRLS

The project has so far reached over 22,000 women and girls, increasing their access to sport.