After receiving 24 complaints about Adidas' sports bra ad with a "boob grid," UK's Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) banned the advertisement. This is probably what Adidas was going after when they created the ad.
Harriet Williams of Yahoo News says the ban is stupid:
I think they're missing the point. Adidas' sports bra ad is daring in the very best sense of the word. It's inclusive and diverse and shows how different our breasts can be. I'm fed up with seeing sports bras modelled exclusively by thin, toned – usually white – women with small breasts. If I'm looking for a high impact, supportive sports bra, I want to know that the brand has people with boobs outside of the compact, high-set ideal in mind.
The Adidas ad feels joyful to me. It feels like a tiny step in the right direction. I don't believe it sexualises women – the ad is honest, rather than styled or posed for the purpose of titillation. I've seen far raunchier posters on the side of buses for lingerie from high street retailers, even those aimed at older women. As for reducing women to body parts: granted the chest of each model is the only area displayed – but I don't buy a sports bra to wear on my face.
