Sydney Sweeney's Novig Ad Sparks Debate Over Sexualisation of Women's Sport

A new advertisement for Novig, a sports prediction company, has ignited a debate about the way women's sport is portrayed in marketing. The campaign features actor Sydney Sweeney in various stages of undress, using sporting equipment to cover her body as she performs or mimics a range of sports. Sweeney is also an equity holder and strategic partner in the company.

The advertisement has drawn sharp criticism from Olympic and elite sportswomen, who argue that it sexualises women's sport and trivialises the years of physical labour that female athletes devote to their disciplines. Four-time Olympic gold medallist Ariarne Titmus described it as a "kick in the face" to women who have spent their lives perfecting their craft. Sprinter Amy Hunt questioned whether the campaign truly represents women in sport, pointing instead to the hard work, blood, sweat and tears that define athletic careers.

The controversy has also revived a broader conversation about the line between a woman's personal choice to be sexy and an advertiser's decision to make sex the most interesting thing about her. Critics argue that when a naked body becomes the centrepiece of an advertisement supposedly about sport, it raises questions about what is being sold and who profits from it.

The debate echoes earlier controversies in sports marketing. In 2011, the Badminton World Federation proposed making skirts or dresses compulsory for women players in major tournaments, aiming to make the sport appear more "feminine" and attractive to fans and sponsors. The proposal was condemned as an attempt to "sex up" the sport and was eventually abandoned after widespread opposition, including from Indian players such as Jwala Gutta, Ashwini Ponnappa, Aparna Popat and Saina Nehwal.

That same year, the WTA launched its "Strong Is Beautiful" campaign featuring stars including Serena Williams, Kim Clijsters and Victoria Azarenka. While some imagery was praised as powerful, other shots were criticised for turning female athleticism into another opportunity for sexualisation. The LPGA faced similar criticism for featuring golfer Natalie Gulbis in advertising despite her ranking outside the world's top 100, while the WNBA was accused of disproportionately promoting its more conventionally attractive players.

More recently, in 2022, Adidas promoted its sports-bra collection with a tweet showing a grid of 25 sets of naked women's breasts in different shapes, sizes and colours. The UK's Advertising Standards Authority subsequently banned the campaign in untargeted advertising, saying the explicit nudity was inappropriate and likely to cause widespread offence.

Commentators have contrasted these approaches with campaigns that centre female athleticism. Nike India's "Da Da Ding" campaign before the Rio Olympics featured Indian sportswomen including PV Sindhu, Dutee Chand and Mary Kom boxing, sprinting, swimming and playing football, without explanations about why women deserve to be there.

The discussion has also highlighted the achievements of contemporary Indian sportswomen such as Smriti Mandhana, Jemimah Rodrigues, Manu Bhaker, Nikhat Zareen and Shafali Verma, who are making Indian sport aspirational and commercially successful. The hope expressed by critics is that young girls watching them will aspire to their confidence, focus and fight rather than to their bodies.

The core question, as framed by those objecting to the Novig campaign, is not whether women athletes or actors may choose to be sexy, but what is being sold through their bodies and whether athleticism is being reduced to packaging for attractiveness.