2024-07-19 14:46:10
Harsh criticism
Controversy over Adidas campaign with Bella Hadid
Updated on 19.07.2024 – 13:58Reading time: 3 min.
Adidas wanted to advertise a campaign for the retro sneaker SL 72 OG with the model Bella Hadid. However, the sporting goods manufacturer was met with harsh criticism.
The sportswear manufacturer Adidas actually only wanted to relaunch the retro SL 72 OG sneaker. But the campaign with model Bella Hadid for the relaunch of the 1972 Olympic shoe was met with fierce criticism. Even the Israeli embassy in Germany got in touch. The reason for this is that Hadid has been accused of making anti-Semitic statements in the past.
In response to the criticism, an Adidas spokesperson has now spoken out in the “Newsweek” and the “Berliner Zeitung”. But first things first.
At first glance, it is a large campaign photo with Bella Hadid that Adidas posted on its X channel. The 27-year-old is clearly visible in the look with the three stripes in black and white. On her feet she is wearing the retro SL 72 OG sneaker in pink with lilac accents.
However, at second glance, it is not a normal campaign, as the shoe is intended to commemorate the 1972 Olympic Games in Munich. At that time, however, the sporting aspect took a back seat because a Palestinian terrorist commando murdered eleven Israeli athletes.
Bella Hadid has been accused of anti-Semitic statements in the past. Her family comes from Nazareth. In 2021, she was seen in a video that showed her participating in an anti-Israel rally in New York. Together with other participants, she chanted the slogan “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free.” The phrase implies the annihilation of the State of Israel.
Two years later, Hadid again attracted attention for her attitude. After the massacre by the terrorist organization Hamas on October 7 last year, Hadid shared a post on social media saying that Hamas had baked a birthday cake for one of the Israeli hostages. The claim that the hostages were treated humanely is part of the terrorist organization’s propaganda.
Hadid has 63 million followers on Instagram alone, giving her an enormous reach. Due to Adidas’ collaboration with Hadid on the sneaker, the Israeli Embassy in Germany wrote on X: “Adidas recently launched a new campaign for its shoes commemorating the 1972 Munich Olympics. During the Munich Olympics, eleven Israelis were murdered by Palestinian terrorists. Guess who the face of the campaign is?”
The post continues: “Bella Hadid, a model of Palestinian descent who has a history of spreading anti-Semitism and calling for violence against Israelis and Jews. She and her father frequently spread anti-Semitic slanders and conspiracies against Jews. Adidas, any comment on this?”
The company’s comment came on Thursday evening. “The adidas Originals SL72 campaign brings together a wide range of partners to celebrate our lightweight running shoe, which was designed more than 50 years ago and is worn in sport and culture around the world,” the sporting goods manufacturer told the “Berliner Zeitung”.
A company spokesperson continued: “We recognise that connections have been made to tragic historical events – even if these are entirely unintentional – and we apologise for any upset or distress this may have caused. For this reason, we are revising the campaign. We believe in sport as a unifying force around the world and will continue our efforts to promote diversity and equality in everything we do.”
It is not clear to what extent the campaign will be revised and whether Hadid will continue to be part of it.