What are little girls made of? Russian life coach sues Nike over ad

A Russian woman is suing sportswear giant Nike over the brand’s popular What are little girls made of? ad, claiming that the commercial could “turn [girls] into men” and causes “moral harm”.

Moscow resident Marina Rybnikova, who owns life coaching firm Neo Lady and the Neo-Academy centre for personal development, beauty and health, is demanding 525,000 rubles ($9,300) from Nike.

According to a report by Moscow news site Moslenta, Ms Rybnikova was particularly incensed by a lyric suggesting that little girls are “made of bruises and punches”. Despite the words being accompanied by images of a female boxer in training, providing a clear link to sport, Ms Rybnikova argues that girls “could easily go out and start fights” after watching the video.

In an interview with Afisha, the outraged complainant stated that the ad fails to offer viewers free choice — presumably in its assertions about what little girls are and should do — and misrepresents the experience of most girls in its depiction of professional sportswomen.

Ms Rybnikova was also highly unimpressed with an onscreen choir’s assertion that girls are made up of “aspirations, skills, independence, and freedom”.

“Independence does not really mean much to us [women],” she added. “We are still about internal structure, about comfort, about domesticity.”

Nike has yet to come back with any figures regarding moral corruption, vicious fistfights or confusion born of the ad.

Source: The Moscow Times and Afisha (in Russian)