Pedestrians walk past a big Adidas logo in a German international sportswear store.
Miguel Candela | SOPA Images | LightRocket via Getty Images
Several press releases allegedly sent from Sneakers details about the launch of Berlin Fashion Week, the treatment of employees abroad and other topics related to the business structure were false, in line with the company.
“We don’t comment on these fake emails/releases,” Claudia Lange, the retailer’s vp of external communications, said in an email to CNBC.
One falsified statement said that Vay Ya Nak Phoan, who was described as a former Cambodian factory employee and union leader, was appointed co-chairman to make sure ethical compliance in production.
The Yes Men, an activist group with a history of making counterfeits to attract attention to how corporations reply to social issues, confirmed to CNBC that it was behind the publication together with other groups. The groups are hoping to get Adidas to sign the Pay Your Staff Agreement, which advocates for attire staff’ pay and the right to prepare.
“Following several scandals, it looks like it might be an incredible thing for them to start out a recent chapter,” said a member of The Yes Men identified as Mike Bonanno.
Two faked press releases claimed that Adidas was launching a recent apparel called REALITYWEAR from celebrities Pharrell Williams, Bad Bunny and Philllllthy. A hoax announcing the debut of Berlin Fashion Week on January 16 claimed it was a part of a push to refocus on labor rights and material sourcing.
Adidas presents its position on labor rights on a Workplace Standards page. dedicated to this issue by setting out its code of conduct on worker health, safety, compensation and ‘responsible sourcing’.
The Guardian was the first to report that the Yes Men were behind the campaign.
Yes Men’s multi-layered campaign also referenced their just-completed collaboration with Ye, the rapper formerly referred to as Kanye West, who has come under fire in recent months for anti-Semitic statements, and featured the company’s “answer” providing fabricated responses to the issues raised in the first releases.
– Gabrielle Fonrouge of CNBC provided the reports