Adidas' "Impossible Is Nothing" Campaign Leads With Black Women
A few days ago, adidas began rolling out a campaign entitled “Impossible Is Nothing.” With 20 different archival montages showing an intimate and oft-unseen side to some of its most legendary celebrity partners. While the films will feature a long list of partners, the initial videos kicked off with a montage honoring Candace Parker and a slew of WNBA talent, narrated by filmmaker Lena Waithe as well as a tribute to Ivy Park partner, Beyoncé.
The goal of the films underscores the three main tenets of adidas’ new 2021 to 2025 strategy: sustainability, inclusivity, and credibility. The five-year plan was unveiled in March when the German sportswear company laid out its longterm plans to be more digital, more direct, more female-focused, and more "sustainable."
In a minute-long video, we see Beyoncé from youth to adulthood on a journey to “find her voice” and, along the way, impact other women to do the same. Watch it above.
The renewed focus on inclusivity (within the “Impossible Is Nothing” campaign and the company's ambitious five-year plan) follows criticism of adidas' issues with race within their corporate structure which hit a fever pitch in the summer of 2020 when employees within the company protested against racist internal policies and systemic issues both in North America and abroad.
While we’re hopeful that adidas can continue to implement the necessary changes to it’s corporate culture, we know that a campaign such as this is hopefully just the beginning of bigger and more apparent shifts within Three Stripes and its competitors.