Half-billion fine for the shoe giant: They used pigskin

The Advertising Board of the Ministry of Trade imposed an administrative fine of half a million lira on the globally renowned shoe brand Adidas for not disclosing the use of pigskin in the "Samba OG" model sold in Turkey.

Adidas did not provide sufficient information about the product’s composition on its sales platform in Turkey, meaning the company failed to fulfill its obligation to inform consumers. The company did not respond to the notification, and as a result, a decision was made to halt the advertisements due to misleading promotions.

USE OF PIGSKIN INSTEAD OF NATURAL LEATHER: INSENSITIVITY TO CONSUMERS' RELIGIOUS SENTIMENTS

The process began when it was discovered that pigskin was used in the "Samba OG" model. While Adidas's sales platform in Turkey stated "natural leather," there was no mention of pigskin content. The Advertising Board of the Ministry of Trade pointed out that this could be against religious sensitivities in Turkey and emphasized that such information should be clearly stated in advertisements and promotions.

CONSUMER RIGHTS VIOLATED: ADVERTISEMENTS HALTED

The Advertising Board requested detailed information from Adidas regarding the product’s composition. However, the company’s customer service stated that they could not provide information about the presence of pigskin. Despite this, an official defense was requested from the company. However, no response was given to the notification sent on November 14, 2024. This was considered as the company’s failure to meet its burden of proof.

550,000 LIRA FINE AND ADVERTISEMENT HALTED

The Ministry of Trade imposed an administrative fine of 550,059 lira on Adidas for misleading promotional practices. Additionally, the advertisements were halted. This fine highlights that the company did not comply with local regulations and ignored social sensitivities. Adidas faced this substantial fine for failing to fulfill its responsibilities regarding consumer rights.