On June 24th, adidas unveiled the world’s first ever liquid billboard in Dubai, in line with the brand’s recent debut of its Burkini Collection. The first-of-its kind stunt celebrates adidas’ drive to offer a wider choice of technical apparel for athletes everywhere, simultaneously inspiring confidence in women and building on its commitment to make the future of sport as inclusive as possible.
A YouGov survey commissioned by adidas in 2021 reveals that only 12% of women in the United Arab Emirates are completely comfortable wearing a swimsuit at a public beach or pool. Body shame and lack of privacy are the two main reasons women do not feel comfortable in their swimsuits.
The ground-breaking activation, which took place at one of Dubai’s most popular public beaches saw the reveal of an incredible 5-metre high and three-meter deep swimming pool. The liquid billboard could fit around 3,319 adidas shoe boxes and is made of reinforced transparent acrylic. Its walls can hold a whopping 11,500 gallons of water equivalent to nearly 163 bathtubs! The structure took a team of 32 people to build, working around the clock for 3 weeks to deliver.
Ladies of Dubai were invited to take a public “leap” of faith and participate by taking a dive “Beyond the Surface,” reinforcing the brand’s global attempt to ensure that sport is welcoming for all. Those who took the public dive into the liquid billboard included adidas ambassador and amputee triathlete Dareen Barbar who is also a Guinness World Records title holder as well as adidas ambassador Raha Moharrak, the first Saudi Arabian female to climb Mount Everest.To further amplify this historic moment, content from the liquid billboard was beamed directly onto a digital screen above the Dubai Mall Ice Rink, next to the adidas flagship store, allowing shoppers and mallgoers to enjoy the experience.
Amrith Gopinath,Sr Brand Director adidas GCCsaid: “Our belief is that nobody should be prevented from enjoying the benefits of being in and around the water, hence the recent launch of our diversified product offering for all women and our Burkini Collection. Each piece is also carefully crafted to ensure that additional fabric does not reduce a swimmer’s ability to move in the water. The range went through a detailed testing process with consumer groups across multiple regions to help find the perfect balance of fit, features, performance and coverage.”
