GOAL: Help international press tell the story of Adidas garment worker abuse, pressuring the company to pay owed back wages and severance, and to sign a game-changing labor agreement.
SUCCESS: 8/10. The action illuminated corners of the Adidas supply chain they spend many millions to keep shadowy. Many thousands of consumers learned of the exploitation, and added their voices to pressure the company to sign the Pay Your Workers Agreement — at a pivotal moment, as their new (real) CEO sets the agenda for the company's future. We'll see what it leads to!
- The Guardian: Berlin fashion spoof causes chaos as Adidas denies involvement | Fashion industry | The Guardian (archive)
- Fortune: Adidas hoax at Berlin Fashion Week sees co-CEO announced | Fortune (archive)
- Yahoo! Life (fooled): Adidas aims to make amends after its recent 'misfire' with Kanye West's Yeezy line (archive)
- Financial Review (fooled): Adidas appoints Cambodian former activist Vay Ya Nak Phoan as co-CEO with Bjorn Gulden (orig link)
- Ecotextile (fooled): Adidas appoints ex-garment worker joint CEO (orig link)
- Kicks Addict: Kicksaddict, Adidas Originals x Pharrell Williams Pokey Slider... (archive)
- 69WFMZ via Yahhoo!: Adidas aims to make amends after its recent 'misfire' with Kanye West's Yeezy line | Entertainment News | wfmz.com (orig link)
- Revista del Calzado: Adidas nombra a una sindicalista como nueva codirectora ejecutiva (archive)
- Ecotextile: Adidas targeted by fake press release stunt | Fashion & Retail News | News (archive)
- News Leaflets: News of 'revolutionary plan' Adidas AG turns out to be fake, no new co-CEO - News Leaflets (archive)
- Fashion United (fooled): Gulden unveils Adidas restructuring, appoints ex-garment worker as co-CEO
- Fashion United: News of 'revolutionary plan' Adidas AG turns out to be fake, no new co-CEO (archive)
- KNews via Yahoo!: Adidas aims to make amends after its recent 'misfire' with Kanye West's Yeezy line – United Kingdom KNews.MEDIA (archive)
- Just Style (fooled): Adidas names garment worker co-CEO, cuts Canada jobs for ESG (orig link)
- Hollywood Treatment (fooled): Adidas aims to make amends after its recent 'misfire' with Kanye West's Yeezy line - Hollywood Treatment (archive)
- Female First (fooled): Adidas aims to make amends after its recent 'misfire' with Kanye West's Yeezy line (archive)
- illinoisdailypress.com: Berlin vogue spoof causes chaos as Adidas denies involvement - The Guardian - Illinois Daily Press (archive)
- tittlepress.com: Berlin fashion gimmick causes chaos as Adidas denies involvement | Fashion industry - TittlePress (archive)
- www.cnbc.com: Adidas says Berlin Fashion Week launch and co-CEO announcements are fake (orig link)
- wwd.com: Adidas Hit by Hoax, Says Company Did Not Appoint Co-CEO – WWD (archive)
- apparelinsider.com: Clean Clothes says it was behind Adidas' hoax - Apparel Insider (archive)
- finance.yahoo.com: Adidas embarrassed after ‘utopian announcement’ – which named fake co-CEO and launched fashion line – spreads like wildfire (archive)
- asiagarmenthub.net: Adidas aims to make amends after its recent 'misfire' with Kanye West's Yeezy line — Asia Garment Hub (archive)
- www.urbanmag-online.com: Adidas Victimized by Malicious Hoax – Urban Magazine (archive)
- insideretail.asia: No, Adidas has not named a trade unionist as co-CEO to lead ethics push - Inside Retail (archive)
- www.econotimes.com: Adidas debunks reports of Berlin Fashion Week, assignment of former union leader as new co-CEO - EconoTimes (archive)
- www.drapersonline.com: Adidas targeted by fake news hoax (archive)
- cuba.detailzero.com: adidas is the victim of an epic “trolling” in Berlin (archive)
- wwd.com: Adidas Fashion Fiasco Leads to More Questions – WWD (archive)
- manchester-tv.co.uk: ADIDAS VICTIMISED BY MALICIOUS HOAX NO NEW CAMBODIAN CO-CEO, NO NEW ETHICS ACCORD - Manchester TV (archive)
- www.campaignasia.com: Adidas hit by fake press release campaign | PR | Campaign Asia (archive)
- www.ktbs.com: Adidas aims to make amends after its recent 'misfire' with Kanye West's Yeezy line | Entertainment | ktbs.com (archive)
- www.celebretainment.com: Adidas aims to make amends after its recent 'misfire' with Kanye West's Yeezy line | Fashion | celebretainment.com (archive)
- boingboing.net: Fake Adidas "RealityWear" line highlights labor abuses | Boing Boing (archive)
- purplehazemag.com: REALITY WEAR Adidas Fashion Fiasco Elaborate hoax upends Berlin Fashion Week | Purplehazemag (archive)
- ww.fashionnetwork.com: Activists target Adidas with spoof event at Berlin Fashion Week (orig link)
- www.sginews.com: SGI News (orig link)
- www.thestreet.com: After Ye (Kanye), Adidas Faces Fresh Problem - TheStreet (archive)
- www.spiegel.de: Adidas: PR-Gag der Yes Men gegen Sportartikelhersteller - »Für Adidas wären das Peanuts« - DER SPIEGEL (orig link)
- www.tagesspiegel.de: Protest against Adidas at Fashion Week: Activism has arrived in fashion (archive)
- fashionunited.de: Kein neuer Co-CEO bei Adidas: Nachricht von "revolutionärem Plan" entpuppt sich als Falschmeldung (archive)
- www.stylebook.de: Fabrikarbeiterin wird Co-CEO bei Adidas – oder etwa doch nicht? (archive)
- fashionunited.de: Berlin Fashion Week: New Yorker Künstlerkollektiv spielt Adidas einen Streich (archive)
- www.boersentreff.de: ADIDAS Aktie :: News | Aktienkurs | DE000A1EWWW0 | A1EWWW | FRA:ADS | ETR:ADS (archive)
- www.berliner-zeitung.de: Guerilla-Performance bei der Fashion Week: „Wir geben uns als mächtige Personen aus, um sie zu demütigen“ (archive)
- www.fashionstreet-berlin.de: Adidas Fake Show zum Auftakt der Berlin Fashion Week Herbst Winter 2023 - Mode, Shopping, Designer, Trends - Fashionstreet-Berlin (archive)
- www.grazia-magazin.de: Berlin Fashion Week 2023: Einschneidende Kritik am Moderiesen Adidas (archive)
- www.zeit.de: Berlin Fashion Week: Aktionsbündnis kritisiert Adidas auf inszenierter Modenschau | ZEIT ONLINE (archive)
- www.radioeins.de: Berlin - Adidas Hack von "The Yes Men" bei der Fashionweek | radioeins (archive)
- podcasts.apple.com: Fazit - Deutschlandfunk Kultur: Guerilla-Performance auf Berliner Fashion Week: Yes Men brüskieren Adidas auf Apple Podcasts (archive)
- www.n-tv.de: Sozialkritik getarnt als Modeshow: Aktivistengruppe verschaukelt Sportriesen Adidas - n-tv.de (orig link)
- www.monopol-magazin.de: Yes Men faken Adidas-Schau: Wenn Fashion auf Realität trifft (archive)
- www.faz.net: Seite 2 - Auftakt der Berlin Fashion Week: Klein, aber sexy (archive)
- www.deutschlandfunk.de: The Yes Men vs. Adidas: Protestaktion auf der Berlin Fashion Week | deutschlandfunk.de (archive)
- www.20min.ch: Aktivisten stellen Adidas mit Fake-Modeshow bloss - 20 Minuten (orig link)
- Fashion United NL (fooled): Nieuwe CEO onthult revolutionair plan voor Adidas (orig link)
- Fashion United NL: Nieuws over ‘revolutionair plan’ Adidas blijkt nep, geen nieuwe co-CEO (archive)
- Revista del Calzado (fooled): Adidas nombra a una sindicalista como nueva codirectora ejecutiva (archive)
- Teknomers (fooled): Gulden dévoile des plans révolutionnaires pour Adidas AG et nomme un co-PDG - Teknomers Nouvelles (archive)
- www.marketingdirecto.com: adidas es víctima de un épico "troleo" en Berlín (archive)
- es.fashionnetwork.com: El marketing de guerrilla amenaza a Adidas en la Berlin Fashion Week (orig link)
- www.financieel.com: Adidas zegt dat de lancering van de Berlin Fashion Week en de aankondigingen van de co-CEO nep zijn | Financieel.com (archive)
- pt.fashionnetwork.com: Marketing de guerrilha agita Adidas na Berlin Fashion Week (orig link)
- fashionunited.nl: Berlin Fashion Week: Kunstenaarscollectief uit New York haalt grap uit met Adidas (archive)
- ancre-magazine.com: adidas piégé par un faux défilé à Berlin (archive)
- ilmitte.com: Guerriglia comunicativa contro Adidas alla Berlin Fashion Week: "pagate i lavoratori!" - il Mitte (archive)
- www.tio.ch: Adidas ingannata. In passerella vestiti logori e modelle a terra - Ticinonline (archive)
- radiosarajevo.ba: Protest protiv Adidasa: Krvava odjeća na Fashion Weeku u Berlinu - Radiosarajevo.ba (archive)
- www.merca20.com: Boletines de prensa falsos vulneran a Adidas y la marca resuelve problema (archive)
- news-24.fr: Adidas dit que le lancement de la Fashion Week de Berlin et les annonces du co-PDG sont fausses - News 24 (archive)
- www.linkedin.com: Hans Lak 🚲🌍 on LinkedIn: adidas - Bjørn Gulden to become CEO of adidas AG (archive)
- www.instagram.com: OWNI on Instagram: “A spoof Adidas campaign caused chaos yesterday, highlighting the brand’s hypocrisy. While Adidas’ fake appointment of Cambodian former…” (archive)