Pedestrians walk past a large Adidas logo inside the German multinational sportswear store.
Miguel Candela | SOPA Images | LightRocket via Getty Images
Several press releases are said to have been sent by Adidas about the launch of Berlin Fashion Week, the treatment of overseas workers and other topics related to its business structure were false, according to the company.
“We are not commenting on these fake emails/posts,” Claudia Lange, the retailer’s vice president of external communications, said in an email to CNBC.
A fake announcement said Vay Ya Nak Phoan, who was described as a former Cambodian factory worker and union leader, had been appointed co-CEO to ensure ethical compliance in manufacturing.
The Yes Men, an activist group that has a history of creating hoaxes to draw attention to how corporations respond to social issues, confirmed to CNBC that it was behind the releases along with other groups. The groups hope Adidas will sign the Pay Your Workers labor agreement, which protects garment workers’ wages and the right to organize.
“In the wake of several scandals, it seems like it would be a great thing for them to turn over a new leaf,” said a member of The Yes Men identified as Mike Bonanno.
Two of the fake press releases claimed Adidas was launching new clothing called REALITYWEAR by celebrities Pharrell Williams, Bad Bunny and Philllllthy. The hoax publication that announced the debut of Berlin Fashion Week on January 16 claimed it was part of a push for a renewed focus on workers’ rights and material resources.
Adidas outlines its stance on workers’ rights on a Workplace Standards page dedicated to the issue, setting out its code of conduct on health, safety, wages and “responsible sourcing”.
The Guardian first reported that Yes Men were behind the campaign.
The multi-layered Yes Men campaign also referred to the ended partnership with Ye, the rapper formerly known as Kanye West, who has come under fire in recent months for anti-Semitic statements, and included a “response” from the company, offering fabricated. responses to the points raised in the first publications.
— CNBC’s Gabrielle Fonrouge contributed reporting
