Adidas has apologized for a recent marketing campaign featuring Palestinian-American model Bella Hadid that was meant to honor the 1972 Olympics in Munich, the same event in which 11 Israeli athletes were murdered in a terrorist attack from the Palestinian terrorist group Black September.
“We are conscious that connections have been made to tragic historical events — though these are completely unintentional — and we apologize for any upset or distress caused,” Adidas said in a statement. “As a result we are revising the remainder of the campaign. We believe in sport as a unifying force around the world and will continue our efforts to champion diversity and equality in everything we do.”
Hadid, along with her sister Gigi and their father, have been criticized by some people for allegedly spreading anti-semitic rhetoric and false information on social media since the start of the Hamas-Israel war.
Adidas selected Hadid to star at the center of its Adidas Originals campaign celebrating the launch of the SL 72, a retro look that honors the shoes worn at the 1972 Olympics. The campaign also features footballer Jules Koundé, creative polymath A$AP Nast, musician Melissa Bon and model Sabrina Lan. In the wake of the announcement, several users — including the verified State of Israel account — took to X to condemn the campaign.
“[Bella Hadid] and her father frequently promote blood libels and antisemitic conspiracies against Jews,” read the post from the State of Israel.
In 2022, Adidas terminated its lucrative Yeezy business after founder Kanye West made a series of antisemitic statement on social media. Since then, Adidas has worked through selling off the remaining Yeezy inventory while donating a portion of proceeds to organizations that work to combat discrimination, racism and antisemitism.
