Adidas has removed images of model Bella Hadid from advertisements promoting a sports shoe that was originally released during the 1972 Munich Olympic Games.
Following criticism from Israel regarding Hadid’s participation, the Germany-based sportswear brand announced it was “revising” its promotional campaign.
Promoted as a timeless classic by Adidas, the SL72 trainers were endorsed by Hadid, an American with Palestinian heritage.
The model faced criticism from the Israeli government for allegedly chanting “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free,” and has been accused of antisemitism.
Israel’s official X account expressed opposition to Hadid being “the face of the (Adidas) campaign,” citing the murder of eleven Israelis by Palestinian terrorists at the Munich Olympics.
Over the years, Hadid has consistently criticized the Israeli government and supported Palestinians, notably making an Instagram post on October 23 mourning the loss of innocent lives and urging her followers to demand their leaders protect civilians in Gaza.
Adidas released a statement explaining that the SL72 shoe campaign “unites a broad range of partners.”
It said, “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. As a result, we are revising the remainder of the campaign.”
The company did not specify the adjustments that would be implemented.
Meanwhile, other promotional materials featuring Adidas brand ambassadors such as French footballer Jules Koundé, US rapper A$AP Nast, and Chinese model Sabrina Lan are still accessible online.
On September 5, 1972, the Palestinian group Black September broke into the Olympic village, taking eleven Israeli team members hostage who were later killed.
This incident isn’t the first instance of Adidas severing ties with celebrity partners following accusations of antisemitism.
In October 2022, Adidas terminated its relationship with rapper Kanye West, citing a zero-tolerance policy for antisemitism after he was barred from Instagram and Twitter over offensive posts.
The company condemned West’s remarks and actions as “unacceptable, hateful, and dangerous, violating the company’s values of diversity and inclusion, mutual respect, and fairness.”
