Greece has reportedly filed a lawsuit against Adidas over an alleged drone advert that "kicked the Acropolis". Images circulated online of an illuminated drone show above the UNESCO world heritage site, which appeared to create the image of a shoe and Adidas logo.

Culture Minister Lina Mendoni claimed the Acropolis was used for commercial purposes against a national law, and took place without prior approval from the Culture Ministry, saying that the "legal procedure was not followed" - a claim that Adidas denies. She told local radio Skaï that legal action had already been filed against "anyone responsible" under a law protecting antiquities, and described the imagery as “extremely unpleasant”. She added: "It's like the Adidas shoe kicking the Acropolis."

The culture ministry said it was in contact with the Civil Aviation Authority to determine whether the licensing procedure for the drone overflight had been followed.

Adidas told The Express: "adidas’ drone show event, which took place at the Zappeion Megaron on May 15th, was undertaken after all required permits were received and adhered to.

"The flight of the drones took place strictly over the Zappeion Megaron site, in compliance with the permits received, and no image of the Acropolis monument was used by adidas for advertising or other purposes."

The rocky outcrop over Athens houses the Parthenon Temple, which dates back to 432 BC and honours the goddess Athena.

As one of the most visited sites worldwide, Greece has long tried to preserve the Acropolis, and following huge visitor numbers, the country imposed a tourist cap in 2023, limiting visitor numbers at the Acropolis to 20,000 per day.

Greece's opposition party, PASOK, condemned the actions and questioned the role of the current culture ministry.

It said: "The Acropolis, a global symbol of culture and democracy, cannot be treated as a neutral backdrop for commercial uses and 'smart' advertising stunts," adding it raised "serious questions about the role and responsibility of the culture ministry".

This follows Greece rejecting Oscar-winning director Yorgos Lanthimos's application in April to film at the Acropolis, on the grounds that the scenes did not reflect the historic site’s image.