Adidas receives multi-million dollar lawsuit from Greek government over advertising shoot near Acropolis
The international sportswear and footwear brand Adidas found itself at the center of a high-profile scandal in Greece: the Athenian authorities filed a multimillion-dollar lawsuit against the company. The reason was the shooting of a promotional video near the Acropolis, a monument that has the status of a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is under special state protection. About this informs the British edition of The Independent.
The video, which caused a wave of outrage, shows a show using illuminated drones. In the sky above the Acropolis, these drones form the Adidas logo and the image of the brand’s sneakers. The video and photo appeared on social networks, prompting an immediate reaction from the Greek Ministry of Culture.
The head of the ministry, Lina Meldoni, said on Skai radio that the company used the symbols of the ancient heritage for commercial purposes without proper permission, which is a violation of the Greek law on the protection of antiquities.
“It looks like an Adidas shoe hitting the Acropolis. A lawsuit has already been filed against everyone who was involved in the shooting.” – said the minister.
In addition, the department launched a separate investigation into the violation of the licensing procedure for drone flights over the historical complex. It is also being checked which of the local officials gave their consent to the advertising show above the Acropolis, while, as it is stated, not having official permission from the government.
According to the journalists, the responsible persons may bear both financial and official responsibility – we are talking about significant fines and possible dismissal from their positions. For the Adidas company itself, the situation has turned into a lawsuit for millions of euros, which can have serious reputational and legal consequences.
At the request of the media, the Adidas corporation has so far refused to provide any comments on the incident, as well as on the lawsuit filed by Athens.
This is not the first time the brand has come under fire. Earlier, there were calls for a boycott of Adidas due to an advertising campaign with women’s swimwear, which social media users called “offensive to women”. The company later apologized to model Bella Hadid, who starred in another scandalous campaign dedicated to the 1972 Olympics in Munich.
