Why did Adidas just apologize for its latest campaign?

Adidas features anti-Israel Bella Hadid in a campaign based on the ‘72 Olympics.

By JERUSALEM POST STAFF
Updated: JULY 19, 2024 00:01
Screenshot of the Adidas campaing promoting shoes based on the 1972 Olympics featuring Bella Hadid. (photo credit: screenshot)
Screenshot of the Adidas campaing promoting shoes based on the 1972 Olympics featuring Bella Hadid.
(photo credit: screenshot)

Jewish and pro-Israel Twitter—Jwitter, as it is commonly referred to—was up in arms on Thursday over a new campaign by Adidas they claim is tone-deaf at best and antisemitic at worst.

Adidas announced a new campaign on Thursday featuring sneakers initially designed by the sports clothing brand for the 1972 Olympics in Munich, Germany.

The face of the campaign is Bella Hadid, a Palestinian-American model who is vocally anti-Israel and has spread antisemitic rhetoric on social media alongside her sister, Gigi, and her father, Mohamed.

During the 1972 Olympics, eight members of the Palestinian militant organization Black September infiltrated the Olympic Village, killed two members of the Israeli Olympic team, and took nine others hostage. Those nine were later killed.

Since then, it has been known as the Munich massacre and has been inherently tied to the 1972 Munich Olympics.

SCOUTS GUARD torches above the names of the 11 Israeli athletes murdered at the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich by terrorists from the Black September movement, at the memorial ceremony in Tel Aviv. (credit: YA’ACOV SA’AR/GPO)
SCOUTS GUARD torches above the names of the 11 Israeli athletes murdered at the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich by terrorists from the Black September movement, at the memorial ceremony in Tel Aviv. (credit: YA’ACOV SA’AR/GPO)

Adidas has since apologized, telling The Washington Times, “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.”

They are, as a result, amending the campaign with the understanding that this connection has been made.

“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,” Adidas spokesperson Stefan Pursche told the Times.

Immense online backlash

The backlash online was immense. “Eleven Israelis were murdered by Palestinian terrorists during the Munich Olympics,” the official Israel account on X (formerly Twitter) said. “Guess who the face of their campaign is? Bella Hadid, a half-Palestinian model who has a history of spreading antisemitism and calling for violence against Israelis and Jews.”

“Bella Hadid, the person supporting Hamas terrorists who committed a massacre in Israel just 9 months ago,” wrote Yoseph Haddad, an Arab-Israeli advocate for Israel. “Simply unbelievable, a hypocritical and disgusting campaign!”

Oren Barsky, a popular pro-Israel social media user and investment advisor, wrote, “I'm sorry, WHAT???”

He wrote, “It's as if they sent their brand managers to a special course in insensitivity.”

Dr. Eli David, a famous entrepreneur and influencer, simply shared a screenshot of the Wikipedia page for Adolf Dassler, the founder of Adidas, who was a member of the Nazi party.

“Old habits die hard,” he wrote.

“This is not a mistake, it’s by design,” wrote Hen Mazzig, a UK-based pro-Israel influencer. “@Adidas, are you threatening Jews?”



Related Tags
Munich attack 1972
antisemitism
adidas
Bella Hadid