New Blood Entry — Make Waves With Waves

70% of black girls can’t swim and 5.5 times more black kids die drowning than white kids.

But why?

Lack of funding, facilities and ultimately HAIR.

For black girls, hair is a huge part of identity. Social pressure to always look good, the damaging effects of chlorine on afro hair and racial discrimination in swim cap sizes is preventing many black girls from getting in the pool.

On World Afro Day Adidas will launch Make Waves With Waves, a campaign empowering black girls to swim. Starting with free swimming lessons for the young women of London’s black communities. We’ll also release a range of swim caps fit for all black hair types, after-swim haircare products and haircare tutorials.

Providing a way to protect their waves so they can focus on making waves in the pool.

This idea was a creative response to a hypothetical brief set by adidas as part of the New Blood Awards programme.