Adidas The company has pulled an ad featuring supermodel Bella Hadid from a campaign for a running shoe inspired by designs from the 1972 Munich Olympics.
The Germany-based sportswear company faced criticism in Israel for using Hadid in an advertisement for its retro SL72 shoes, which the company called a “timeless classic.”
In a post on X on Thursday, Israel’s official account disputed Hadid being “the face of their election campaign.”
The 27-year-old model, whose father is Palestinian, has long been a vocal critic of the Israeli government and has repeatedly spoken out publicly in support of Palestinians.
She has also been a prominent advocate of Palestinian relief efforts since the Palestinian War. Israel and Hamas clashed on October 7. in A lengthy statement on Instagram on October 23rdHadid lamented the loss of innocent lives and called on her supporters to pressure leaders to protect Gaza’s civilians.
Vittorio Zunino Cerotto/Getty Images
Adidas apologized on Friday and said it was “in the process of fixing the remainder of the campaign.”
“While this was completely unintentional, we acknowledge that some have made connections to a tragic historical event and we apologize for any upset or distress caused,” the company said in a statement.
“We believe sport is a unifying force in the world and will continue to strive to promote diversity and equality in all we do,” the company added.
It was not clear what changes would be made, but social media posts from the campaign featuring Hadid have reportedly been removed.
The campaign for the Originals SL 72 running shoes launched on Monday and also features soccer player Jules Koundé, rapper A$AP Nast, musician Melissa Vonn and model Sabrina Lan.
The American Jewish Committee condemned Adidas’ decision to use Hadid, saying, “Choosing a vociferously anti-Israel model to recall these dark Olympics is either a gross oversight or deliberate incitement.”
“Neither is acceptable,” he added. Post to XThe group did not provide any evidence or details for its claim that Hadid was “anti-Israel.”
Hadid has not publicly commented on the controversy. photograph A photo she shared of herself standing in front of an Adidas sign wearing a top from the sportswear company has since been removed from Instagram.
The 1972 München Olympique was the scene of an incident on September 5, 1972, when members of the Palestinian group Black September entered the Olympic Village and killed two players from the Israeli national team and took nine more hostages. The assailants were trying to force the release of Palestinian prisoners being held in Israel and two left-wing extremists being held in a West German prison.
All nine hostages, along with one West German police officer, were killed during a rescue operation by German troops.
The advertising campaign also marks 52 years since the Munich Olympics. Paris Olympics It is scheduled to begin on July 26th.
This is the latest controversy surrounding Adidas. German Football Association Brazil has announced it will change the design of its Adidas-made uniforms for the national team after claims that the number 44 on the jerseys resembles the logo of the Brazilian soccer team. SS – Adolf Hitler’s infamous paramilitary organization.
“We support promoting diversity and inclusion, and as a company we actively oppose all forms of xenophobia, anti-Semitism, violence and hatred,” Adidas told CBS News at the time.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
