Nike stirs up a hornet’s nest

Arifa Bseiso boxes an opponent in a scene shot for the Nike Middle East ad campaign filmed in Dubai

Arifa Bseiso boxes an opponent in a scene shot for the Nike Middle East ad campaign filmed in Dubai

Published Feb 24, 2017

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Saudi Arabia - An online commercial released by Nike this week showing Arab women fencing, boxing and spinning on ice-skates has stirred controversy over its attempt to smash stereotypes about women leading home-bound lives in the conservative region.

It begins with a woman nervously peering out of her doorway and adjusting her veil before going for a run in the street, while a female voice narrates in a Saudi dialect: “What will they say about you? Maybe they’ll say you exceeded all expectations.”

Within 48 hours the video was shared 75000 times on Twitter and viewed almost 400000 times on YouTube.

“An ad [which] touches on the insecurities of women in a society digs deeper and becomes an empowerment tool rather than just a product,” Sara al-Zawqari, a spokeswoman for the International Red Cross in Iraq, wrote.

But not all the reviews were positive. “I think this ad was an utter fail,” said Nada Sahimi on the company’s Instagram page. “This is not the true representation of Arab, Muslim women. We do not wear a hijab and go running in the streets, shame on Nike,” she said.

Filmed in the older, rundown suburbs of the glitzy Gulf Arab emirate of Dubai, the ad reflects the struggles faced not only by women across the region but also by some its own stars. 

REUTERS

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