On the eve of International Women’s Day Adidas, the German company and official sponsor of the FIFA World Cup, issued an insult of epic proportions towards Brazilian women. In the eyes of a marketing campaign launched by the brand of three stripes in the US, the Brazilian woman is nothing more than a sexual object.

Take a look at the images and judge for yourself.

The first picture, on the left, speaks for itself: a bottom with a thong in the place of a heart with the phrase “I love Brazil.”  The second also has a graphic design which screams “unprofessional.” It has the phrase “Looking to score,” which we all know has a double meaning.

The blatant allusion to sexual tourism in Brazil was received with indignation by the Brazilian Government, who rebuked the company’s campaign. Adidas apologized and took the products off circulation.

Having lived outside of Brazil for over 20 years, I know very well how the Brazilian woman is perceived by foreigners.  But this is my first time witnessing this perception being materialized by a company the size of Adidas. This is a real shame. Unforgivable.

However, what can you expect when there’s no shortage of candidates for the Miss Booty contest, much less sponsors, or an audience?

Can a country, home of Carnaval, where one of the main products is the semi-naked body of Brazilian women, complain of such a bad worldwide reputation?

Can Brazil, the second largest producer and consumer of pornography in the world, expect the Brazilian woman to be respected?

As long as Brazilian men don’t value Brazilian women and Brazilian women don’t value themselves, unfortunately they will continue to be classified as a sexual object.

This affects us all. Millions of tourists are coming. Many of them are not looking to see Rio’s Sugarloaf Mountain, our beaches, nor the goals of their teams in the World Cup. And many of them won’t just be looking for women, but girls of 12, 13, 14 years of age to fulfill their sexual appetite.

Do something. Boycott Adidas in this World Cup. Spread this message. Stop being a client to pornography. Women, value your body.

Wake up Brazil.

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