Adidas sought to show that people don’t have to choose between fasting or working out during the holy month of Ramadam through a Swedish initiative called ‘From Sunrise To Sunset’ fronted by brand ambassadors and Swedish footballer Nabil Bahoui alongside Taekwondo full contact fighter Zahra Al-Mougrabi and the female basketball team Vision Generation Ball who all share how they do it.
Objective
The objective here is to broaden the sportswear brand’s appeal and support of amateur and elite athletes across all segments, ethnicities, ages and genders: specifically to ensure that Muslims know that that don’t have to opt out of fasting to keep exercising during Ramadan.
Activation
To engage and support those sports enthusiasts who want to keep up their fitness regime during Ramadan, the elite Adidas athletes provide details and tips in a brand guide showing how the Muslim sports stars stay in shape during Ramadam.
Running through March and April 2023, the campaign was spearheaded by a hero video running across Adidas and personal athlete digital platforms spearheaded by a spot titled ‘Adidas x Ramadan | Från Soluppgång Till Solnedgång’.
The film features the perspectives from the athletes on exercising and fasting and aims to enable and inspire others to do what suits them the best.
The lead spot and supporting social content seek to drive viewers online to find out more at https://www.adidasxramadan.se
The initiative initially dropped on 1 March, a couple of weeks ahead of the 22 March start of this year’s Ramadan – a holy month in Islam where Muslims fast from sunrise to sunset.
The objective here is to broaden the sportswear brand’s appeal and support of amateur and elite athletes across all segments, ethnicities, ages and genders: specifically to ensure that Muslims know that that don’t have to opt out of fasting to keep exercising during Ramadan.
Indeed, the campaign also points out that exercising and fasting have things in common: both require commitment and determination and the willpower to hold on and hold out, to resist the easy option and to resist temptation.
Ramadan is an integral, annual part of many amateur and professional athletes year and a further strand of adidas’ 2023 Ramadan programme in the UK was the launch of its TERREX ‘Sports Prayer Mat’ with Wiggle and QM Design (where the group was led by a designed by a 7th generation Muslim craftsman).
Designed to make the great outdoors more inclusive and accessible and developed in a tie-up with a group called the ‘Muslim Hikers Group’ the aim was ‘to revolutionize the outdoor hike and make it more inclusive and accessible for the Muslim community’.
The innovation was developed after the Muslim Hikers were subjected to racist abuse online after taking part in a Christmas Day hike back in 2021 and is a joint initiative aimed at making ‘the countryside feel like a place that Muslims can enjoy safely’.
To launch the new product, 100 mats were initially designed, manufactured and to Muslim Hikers and additional mats were produced and made available for sale during Ramadam on the Adidas and Wiggle websites (with proceeds going to Wiggle’s charity partners).
The mats themselves feature map-inspired typography and pockets in each corner to enable users to weigh it down when used for prayer. The lightweight, waterproof mats can be rolled into a compact size to fit into rucksacks and have been specifically designed to withstand all elements of the outdoors.
As well as the mats, the Muslim Hikers partnership also saw the addition of signs to Mecca located along one of the Peak District’s most popular hiking routes: Cave Dale. The signs have been developed in the hopes that they’ll help Muslims with incorporating prayer time into their outdoor explorations, pointing them in the direction of Mecca and reminding others that the outdoors is for all.
“Working with Wiggle and adidas TERREX has allowed us to take a huge step in the right direction when it comes to promoting inclusivity in the outdoors,” said Muslim Hikers Group Founder Haroon Mota. “Everyone should feel empowered to get outside and enjoy nature, and the prayer mats and signs have made it easier for us within the Muslim community to do this without having to worry about the practicalities of prayer.”
Take a look at the new mats and signs above, and head to the Wiggle website for more information.
Wiggle CEO Huw Crwys-Williams added: “At Wiggle, we are committed to making exercise a welcome and inclusive environment for all. We were disappointed to hear reports of abuse that the Muslim Hikers received and back the group’s goal of bringing the community together through hiking. By partnering with the Muslim Hikers and adidas TERREX, we aim to bring awareness to the fact that any form of exercise is for everyone and will strive to improve accessibility for all communities.”
adidas TERREX senior Brand Marketing Manager Justin Cader commented: “adidas TERREX wants to ensure that everyone has access to nature. Our partnership with Wiggle and Muslim Hikers demonstrates our commitment to making the outdoors more inclusive. Through products and activations, we continue our aim to remove the barriers that prevent some people from enjoying the countryside”.
Wiggle x adidas TERREX x Muslim Hikers.mov from Patrick Williams on Vimeo.