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Reebok Mocks Trump Over Comments to French First Lady
Whether you think Donald Trump's comments to President of France Emmanual Macron's wife, Brigitte, were inappropriate or just a harmless compliment, you cannot dispute Reebok's perfectly-timed tweet.
"You know, you're in such good shape," the notoriously fat-shaming U.S. president reportedly said to Brigitte Macron while meeting France's presidential couple on Friday, and then repeated the comment to President Macron. "Beautiful.”
Moments later, Reebok responded in kind:
[embed]https://twitter.com/Reebok/status/885959875393712128[/embed]
The tweet showcased a cheeky flow chart suggesting when, and when not, to compliment a woman's physique. On an elevator? No. A world leader greeting a head of state? Nah. "Did you just find a forgotten action figure from your youth, unscathed after decades, in your parents' basement?" According to Reebok (and we assume, the late Carrie Fisher, who was subjected to her share of body shaming), then the answer is an unequivocal yes.
And there you have the most perfectly-timed Tweet since Oreo's Twitter account blurted out "you can still dunk in the dark" while the lights went out during the 2013 Super Bowl in New Orleans' Superdome.
Naturally, Reebok's stepping into the ongoing Trump dumpster fire evoked a firestorm on Twitter that still refuses to be extinguished. Many argued whether it was a political tweet or not; others said this was about the leader of the free world conducting himself with decency, or at least tact. But motivations over the tweet aside, the Adidas-owned brand is scoring plenty of eyeballs - which quite a departure from the standard messaging about exercise and showcasing of models such as Gigi Hadid.
To her credit, Mrs. Macron (France does not have an official "first lady" role) has taken the endless commentary and comments about the 24-year-old age difference between her and her husband in stride. Trump could take a few notes on how NOT to take the bait in the world of social media.
Watch for more companies to become unleashed as Trump's approval ratings continue to crater, including in regions he won handily.
Image credit: Reebok/Twitter
Leon Kaye has written for 3p since 2010 and become executive editor in 2018. His previous work includes writing for the Guardian as well as other online and print publications. In addition, he's worked in sales executive roles within technology and financial research companies, as well as for a public relations firm, for which he consulted with one of the globe’s leading sustainability initiatives. Currently living in Central California, he’s traveled to 70-plus countries and has lived and worked in South Korea, the United Arab Emirates and Uruguay.
Leon’s an alum of Fresno State, the University of Maryland, Baltimore County and the University of Southern California's Marshall Business School. He enjoys traveling abroad as well as exploring California’s Central Coast and the Sierra Nevadas.
