Adidas Apologizes, Removes Bella Hadid Images from 1972 Munich Olympics Shoe Campaign

Jul 19, 2024, 10:54 PM

Adidas has faced significant backlash for featuring Palestinian-American supermodel Bella Hadid in a campaign to relaunch the SL72 sneakers, originally released during the 1972 Munich Olympics. The controversy stems from Hadid's vocal pro-Palestinian stance and the historical context of the Munich Olympics, where 11 Israeli athletes were killed by a Palestinian militant group. Pro-Israel groups and the American Jewish Committee criticized Adidas for what they perceived as insensitivity and alleged anti-Semitism. In response, Adidas apologized for the distress caused and announced it would revise the campaign, removing Hadid's images from advertisements. The company emphasized its belief in the unifying power of sports. Adidas spokesperson Stefan Pursche issued the apology, and Hadid's images were also removed from a Times Square billboard. The campaign revision comes ahead of the 2024 Paris Olympics.