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Metro
17-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Metro
Greece files lawsuit against Adidas over drone shoe 'kicking' Acropolis advert
Greece has filed a lawsuit against Adidas over what appeared to be a drone light show advertising the sports brand over the Acropolis. Images and video shared on social media show illuminated drones forming a shoe, with the ancient Athens citadel in the background. Adidas's three stripe logo, along with the words Feel Fast, were also displayed using the lights. Greece's Culture Minister Lina Mendoni said on Friday that the show used the Acropolis for commercial purposes against a national law and took place without approval from the Culture Ministry. 'It's like the Adidas shoe kicking the Acropolis,' Ms Mendoni told local Skai radio. 'A lawsuit has been already filed against anyone responsible.' Adidas said in a statement that 'all required permits were received and adhered to'. 'No image of the Acropolis monument was used by Adidas for advertising or other purposes.' The light show was put on by Essence Mediacom as part of a campaign for an Adidas product. Some reports suggest Essence Mediacom applied on April 30 for permission to hold the show and was granted approval for the fee of 'just 380 euros ($423)'. The drones were launched from the Zappeion, a neo-classical palatial building managed by a state-appointed commission, which is overseen by the national economy ministry. Ms Mendoni said: 'The Zappeion administration should have sought approval from the Culture Ministry before granting such authorisation. 'There has been a violation of the law on archaeological heritage.' Laws regulating the use of Greek archaeological sites – many dating back more than 2,500 years – are particularly strict. The Acropolis, which sits on a hill in Athens, was built in 432BC to honour the goddess of Athena and is one of the most visited sites in the world. The opposition Pasok party accused the government of negligence, saying: 'The Acropolis, a global symbol of culture and democracy, cannot be treated as a backdrop for commercial use. More Trending 'Serious questions arise about the role and responsibility of the Culture Ministry.' The incident comes after the Culture Ministry rejection an application from Greek Oscar-winning director Yorgos Lanthimos to film at the Acropolis. The ministry argued the scenes do not reflect the historic site's image. People have criticised the decision, with one person writing online this week: 'No to Yorgos Lanthimos. Yes to Adidas. No to art, yes to money.' Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@ For more stories like this, check our news page. MORE: 'It's very chill': Your favourite European beaches that aren't full of tourists MORE: Is it safe to travel to Crete? Tsunami alert issued for Greek holiday island MORE: Map shows where Crete earthquake hit amid tsunami warning
Business Mayor
17-05-2025
- Business
- Business Mayor
Outrage in Greece after Adidas advert shows drone shoe ‘kicking' Acropolis
Greece is taking legal action after authorities were caught unaware by the fifth-century BC Acropolis playing a star role in an Adidas advertising campaign. The decision to feature the western world's enduring symbol of democracy for commercial purposes in a hi-tech drone show has left Athens with no choice but to press charges, the country's culture minister said. 'The legal procedure wasn't followed,' Lina Mendoni told SKAI radio. 'This very bad, extremely unpleasant image is as if the Adidas shoe is kicking the Acropolis, aesthetically that is.' The culture ministry had taken the step of filing a lawsuit 'against anyone and everyone responsible'. 'Essentially, we have an advertisement which aims at the commercial exploitation of the specific monuments,' she said, insisting the video's backdrop use of the Unesco world heritage site violated strict laws protecting the nation's rich archaeological legacy. By Saturday the Athens prosecutor's office had opened an investigation into the procedure by which the sport retailer had acquired permits to stage the drone show. Both the ministry of culture and the finance ministry have sought clarification from the Civil Aviation Authority, the body in charge of dispensing aerial permits in line with EU regulations. The drone display, which reportedly took place late on Thursday, was launched from the neo-classical premises of the Zappeion conference centre in central Athens. A state-appointed commission, overseen by the national economy ministry, manages events at the Zappeion. 'Here we have another monument, a newer monument, whose administration, if nothing else, should have sought approval from the ministry of culture before granting permission,' Mendoni, a classical archaeologist herself, added. 'Here, too, we have a breach of archaeological law.' Read More Even as pope, Leo XIV might have to deal with U.S. tax returns As the images circulated via social media and public outrage grew, Adidas hit back, saying Greek legislation had been meticulously followed. 'All required permits were received and adhered to,' the German company said in an email statement cited by Reuters on Friday. 'No image of the Acropolis monument was used by Adidas for advertising or other purposes.' In a nation where the ancient past often weighs heavily, the political opposition have had a field day questioning the centre-right government's role in the furore. 'The Acropolis, a global symbol of culture and democracy, cannot be treated as a backdrop for commercial use,' said the opposition Pasok party, accusing the government of negligence. 'Serious questions arise about the role and responsibility of the culture ministry.' The leftwing Syriza party deplored the advertisement, describing it as the 'commodification of Greece's cultural heritage'. 'The image of a sports shoe 'stepping' on the Acropolis, created using a drone swarm for advertising purposes, constitutes an offensive commercialisation of the core of our cultural heritage,' it said. Management of the Acropolis, Greece's most visited attraction, is particularly sensitive because of the acrimonious debate that has long raged over artefacts, not least the Parthenon sculptures, removed from the site. With half of the temple's famous frieze housed in the British Museum, Greek officials tread a fine line in the campaign to win the treasures back. Only weeks ago, the Greek culture ministry provoked outcry when it rejected a request from the country's leading contemporary director, the Oscar-winning Yorgos Lanthimos, to end his latest movie Bugonia on the monument. The proposed scenes were deemed 'incompatible with the symbolism … and the values the Acropolis represents'. Social media this weekend was replete with criticism from users posting: 'No to Yorgos Lanthimos. Yes to Adidas. No to art, yes to money.'
