ANALYSIS | Yeezy’s return to Adidas – how should big brands respond to celebrity partners’ controversies?

Celebrity partnerships with big brands can be a fickle business.

It’s no secret that brands and businesses often partner with celebrities or high-profile public figures to endorse a product or range.

Think Cassper Nyovest and alcohol brand Cîroc, Bonang Matheba and Revlon, and Thuso Mbedu and L’Oréal Paris, just to name a few.

Many stars even partner with the brands to collaborate on an entirely new product range, much like Pearl Thusi’s 2020 collaboration with MAC cosmetics.

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But what happens when a celebrity partner is involved in scandals that lead to public outcry?

Research has shown that when a celebrity endorser is involved in a scandal or surrounded by negative press – be it immoral behaviour like extramarital affairs, corruption, or driving under the influence, for example – consumer attitudes are affected and the brand’s stock return decreases.

One of the most prominent examples of this is the dissolution of the partnership between sportswear brand Adidas and award-winning rapper Ye – formerly known as Kanye West.

In October 2022, Adidas announced that they had cut ties after their fashion collaborations with Ye and his Yeezy footwear and clothing line.

This was following his numerous hate speech and antisemitic comments – including wearing a ‘White Lives Matter’ shirt to the Yeezy season nine fashion show in 2022.

More recently, on 19 May 2023, Adidas released a statement declaring that they will be selling some of the remaining Yeezy and donating the proceeds to charity organisations.

Per the statement, Adidas CEO Bjørn Gulden explains, “After careful consideration, we have decided to begin releasing some of the remaining adidas YEEZY products. Selling and donating was the preferred option among all organizations and stakeholders we spoke to.

“We believe this is the best solution as it respects the created designs and produced shoes, it works for our people, resolves an inventory problem, and will have a positive impact in our communities. There is no place in sport or society for hate of any kind and we remain committed to fighting against it.”

Although it seems Adidas has come to a happy medium of getting rid of their Yeezy stock while keeping their integrity intact with the decision to donate the profits – assuming they follow through – this begs the question of how brands should be responding to the unbecoming scandals their celebrity partners are caught up in.

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While it could be understood that cutting a celebrity endorsement short can result in massive losses for the company, the moral and ethical implications will ultimately influence how their consumers will perceive them.

A 2019 study from the University of Fort Hare shows that celebrity trustworthiness has a differing impact on South African consumers’ intentions to buy products, ranging from having significant to little to no impact.

Another example of organisations cutting ties and then working together again with celebrities embroiled in controversies is musician Sjava.

In 2020, Lady Zamar opened up about Sjava allegedly assaulting her in an incident in 2017. Amid the allegations, organisations like the Cape Town Jazz Festival removed him from their line-up.

The state has since dismissed the case, as they believed the facts or the evidence do not support a successful prosecution, as reported by DRUM. Sjava’s career has since continued to grow, with performances on major platforms like Bassline Festival and a collaborative album with musician Big Zulu.

Since the announcement that the Yeezy footwear is available for purchased again in June 2023, social media has had mixed reactions to news.

With many users’ – and thus consumers – opinions ranging from supporting Ye to being skeptical of the brand’s intentions of putting the footwear back on the market after his hate comments, it safe to say that while celebrity endorsement deals can be extremely lucrative, brand values and integrity need to be carefully considered when partnering with controversial public figures.