Support The Moscow Times!

Russian Woman Sues Nike Over Ad That 'Could Turn Girls Into Men'

NikeWomen / YouTube

A Moscow woman is suing sports company Nike for damages after claiming that a viral ad encouraging girls to follow their dreams could “turn them into men.”

Self-described “life coach” Marina Rybnikova said Nike's clip could "corrupt young women," Russian news site Moslenta reported.

She is demanding 525,000 rubles ($9,300) from Nike for "causing moral harm."

Rybnikova was particularly outraged by a lyric in the ad that claimed little girls were "made from bruises and punches." The words appeared alongside an image of a female boxer training with a punching bag. 

"It's outrageous that lots of teenagers are watching this on Youtube," Rybnikova told Russian news site Afisha"Girls could easily go out and start fights after this video. That's what angered me," she said.

Rybnikova also found cause for concern when an onscreen choir declared modern girls to be made of "aspirations, skills, independence, and freedom."

"Independence does not really mean much to us [women]," she said. "We are still about internal structure, about comfort, about domestic life," she said.

Nike's ad, "What are little girls made of?" was published on YouTube on Feb. 15. It has currently had almost 9 million views.

… we have a small favor to ask.

As you may have heard, The Moscow Times, an independent news source for over 30 years, has been unjustly branded as a "foreign agent" by the Russian government. This blatant attempt to silence our voice is a direct assault on the integrity of journalism and the values we hold dear.

We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. Our commitment to providing accurate and unbiased reporting on Russia remains unshaken. But we need your help to continue our critical mission.

Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just 2. It's quick to set up, and you can be confident that you're making a significant impact every month by supporting open, independent journalism. Thank you.

Continue

Read more