Dear Mr Hainer,
Many of our supporters have contacted us with regard to your advert featuring Derrick Martell Rose in a bullfighting arena.
I can understand adidas’s desire to portray its products in an unusual location and the spot would be enjoyable to watch and adequate if in reality the bull had the chance to win as Rose does in the spot. 
The reality, however, is very different. The bulls are tormented during their entire period in the bullring. Lances are driven into the bull’s back and neck muscles to both weaken and anger the bull. Next, the terrified animal is stabbed with barbed spears and further disorientated. Eventually the matador forces the by now exhausted and severely weakened animal to do a few charges before he attempts to kill it with a sword. If this fails, the procedure is repeated until the bull finally collapses.
While the crowd applauds the matador the bull, often while still conscious, is dragged out of the arena. The matador may also be ‘rewarded’ with a trophy in the form of a bull’s ear and tail.
I am sure you will agree that this is a barbaric and torturously lengthy death for the bull.
As I am sure you are aware the Catalan parliament has voted in favour of a bullfighting ban which comes into force in January next year. In the whole of Spain bullfighting has been unpopular for years as recent opinion polls show. It has also been unprofitable and has only survived on subsidies paid for by the Spanish and EU taxpayer. 
I am surprised to see that adidas is so far behind the times and promotes a cruel sport that I am sure a lot of your customers disapprove of.
I very much hope that you reconsider your decision to promote bullfighting and stop the broadcast of the advert.
Yours sincerely,
Florian Leppla
Campaigns Manager Bye-Bye Bullfighting
Florian Leppla
