Manila, Philippines, March 2021 – On a relentless pursuit to ensure sport belongs to everyone, regardless of age, socio-economic and cultural background or sporting ability, adidas today announces Watch Us Move – a long-term campaign created to better support all women in sport.
Aimee Arana, General Manager, Global Training at adidas, said: “We believe that sport should be accessible to – and representative of – all, and this year we are accelerating our efforts to ensure it is an inclusive space for women. The Watch Us Move campaign is a milestone for adidas; it is our promise to celebrate and support all women by creating performance product that keeps you moving, and we are opening up our platforms to those who are paving the way.
We had real, open, and honest conversations with women around the world about the things that are missing and what we can do better. This collaborative approach was vital in understanding the needs of underrepresented communities in particular; those that don’t recognise themselves within the traditional spaces of sport and wellness, nor are able to find effective performance wear built to their specific needs.”
As part of the campaign, adidas will be pushing boundaries and releasing product innovations throughout this year and beyond that are informed directly by insights gained from extensive listening and research. This exercise shed light on some of the barriers women face to movement.
Equipped with this knowledge, adidas’ designers and engineers have been working to develop performance wear that removes gaps faced by such communities; modest swimwear, a performance tight that helps you stay in play during your period, performance footwear crafted with the female anatomy in focus and an extension of its maternity collection. The campaign kicks off with the arrival of adidas’ most supportive activewear yet, Formotion.
The Formotion collection has been developed by an all-female design team to deliver maximum support, whilst offering a comfortable fit that works seamlessly with the body in motion.
Taking inspiration from shapewear technology, the hero tight uses graded compression – created after years of development – based on body mapping and motion studies to deliver precise support where it’s needed most. The compression zones have different intensities and are strategically placed around the waist and hips to sculpt, whilst high-stretch knit fabric around the legs and calves allows freedom to move without restraint in high-impact conditions.
Josefine Aberg, VP Product Design at adidas, said: “As we started on the journey of creation, we asked women from around the globe how they want to feel when they’re working out, and the feeling of confidence came up repeatedly. Many could relate to wearing uncomfortable apparel that holds them back when playing sport or exercising, affecting how they feel when moving. With this collection, we wanted to make women feel secure and strong, yet comfortable – liberating, rather than restricting, giving confidence through every move, from deadlifting to barre.”
Move With Us fitness series
Following an initial spike in searches for home workout content at the start of the pandemic, adidas has seen searches remain twice as high (+94%)*. With a growing online community of fitness enthusiasts and sustained need for home workout content, women have the convenience of going online to find classes. But while exercising at home should be a space for all, the diversity of those leading popular YouTube workouts is lacking.
Giving a platform to athletes and grassroots fitness enthusiasts from communities that have historically been underrepresented, adidas’ new series seeks to keep the hearts, minds and bodies of its female audience healthy.
Available for free on youtube.com/adidaswomen, the series celebrates and enables movement for all and invites women around the world to enjoy the wellbeing it brings, no matter their circumstance.
The series kicks off on 25 February with workouts from body positive yoga expert, wellness entrepreneur and author, Jessamyn Stanley and world champion, Paralympic medallist and motivational speaker, Denise Schindler. Classes will be dropping from March onwards, where adidas’ most inclusive line-up of elite and every day athletes will be putting the new Formotion collection to the test. Discover the inspiring women’s’ stories and learn more about the campaign by checking out #WatchUsMove.
The Formotion collection is available worldwide from March 4. The collection features adidas’ quick-dry Aeroready fabric which keeps athletes feeling dry and comfortable, and PRIMEGREEN, a series of high-performance recycled materials using a minimum of 40% recycled content. Follow #Formotion for more product information.
*Source: Google Trends
