Research conducted by the Department of Sport and Exercise Science at the University of Portsmouth shows that all women who engage in any form of exercise face the prospect of irreversible breast sag if they do not wear a proper sports bra. The research found that regardless of cup size or activity every woman should wear a sports bra to exercise.
Triumph, makers of the Tri-action sports bra, recently launched a tactical marketing campaign in SA to try to correct this common misperception. Advertising agency BBDO Cape Town devised a campaign to educate women when exercising or making sports related purchases.
Items such as bright red stability balls appeared in gyms emblazoned with the tagline "Tri-Action no bounce sports bras. Don't move without one". Treadmills advertising banners asked: "Can your bra go the distance?" And a number of other messages - such as messages in women's running shoes - all encouraged women to consider whether they were getting the support they required.
Creative director on the campaign Trusha Naidoo actually stood up in the client presentation and gave an impromptu skipping demonstration, clearly illustrating just how much bust bounce there is in a regular bra: "These days women are just as into getting sweaty as men are so it makes sense to talk sports bras while they are working out at the gym or shopping for sweats at serious sports stores.
"Clearly these are women who are prepared to put time and energy into their fitness routines. That's why creative that brings the Tri-Action proposition to life in-situ goes the extra mile. It's relevant, it's engaging and most importantly, it results in action."
It may be time to toss those T-shirt bras, which will only reduce your bounce by 38%, compared with wearing a sports bra, which reduces bounce by 78%, and take some advice from Triumph: "Hop, skip, jump. Don't bounce."
