Adidas has pulled its ad featuring supermodel Bella Hadid from its campaign for running shoes inspired by a design dating back to the time of the 1972 Munich Olympics.
The German-based sportswear company drew criticism from Israel for including Hadid in the advertising for the retro SL72 shoes, which it describes as a “timeless classic.”
In a post Thursday on X, Israel’s official account objected to Hadid as “the face of their campaign.”
The 27-year-old model, whose father is Palestinian, has repeatedly made public remarks criticizing the Israeli government and supporting Palestinians over the years.
She has also been a prominent advocate for Palestinian relief efforts since the war between Israel and Hamas broke out on Oct. 7. In a lengthly Oct. 23 statement on Instagram, Hadid lamented the loss of innocent lives while calling on followers to pressure their leaders to protect civilians in Gaza.
Vittorio Zunino Celotto/Getty Images
Adidas on Friday apologized and said they are “revising the remainder of the campaign.”
“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,” it said.
“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,” the company added.
It did not specify what changes would be made; however, social media posts of the campaign featuring Hadid were purportedly taken down.
The “Originals’ SL 72” running shoe campaign was launched Monday and is also fronted by footballer Jules Koundé, rapper A$AP Nast, musician Melissa Bon and model Sabrina Lan.
The American Jewish Committee decried Adidas’ decision to include Hadid and said choosing a “vocal anti-Israel model to recall this dark Olympics is either a massive oversight or intentionally inflammatory.”
“Neither is acceptable,” it added in a post on X. The group did not provide evidence or detail for its allegation that Hadid was “anti-Israel.”
Hadid has not publically commented on the controversy. A photo she shared showing her standing in front of an Adidas billboard, wearing one of the sportswear manufacturer’s tops, has been removed from Instagram.
The 1972 Munch Olympics is where members of the Palestinian group Black September broke into the Olympic village on Sept. 5, 1972, and killed two athletes from Israel’s national team. They took nine more as hostages. The attackers hoped to force the release of Palestinian prisoners held by Israel as well as two left-wing extremists in West German jails.
All nine hostages and a West German police officer died during a rescue attempt by German forces.
The ad campaign also marks 52 years since the Munich Games. The Paris Olympics are set to begin on July 26.
This is the latest controversy surrounding Adidas. In April, Germany’s soccer federation said it was redesigning its national team’s Adidas jerseys after claims that the kits’ No. 44 numbering looked similar to the logo of the Schutzstaffel – Adolf Hitler’s infamous paramilitary force.
“Our company stands for the promotion of diversity and inclusion, and as a company we actively oppose xenophobia, anti-Semitism, violence, and hatred in any form,” Adidas told CBS News at the time.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
