Adidas has issued an apology to Bella Hadid after removing her from a campaign that referenced the 1972 Munich Olympics, where Israeli athletes were tragically killed by pro-Palestinian terrorists. The campaign, featuring the supermodel promoting a relaunch of the Adidas shoe from the 1972 Games, was met with criticism from pro-Israel groups who deemed it “sick” and offensive.
Hadid, who has been vocal about her Palestinian heritage and has spoken out against Israel’s actions towards Hamas, was reportedly considering legal action against Adidas. In response, the company has now released a statement on their Adidas Originals Instagram feed, apologizing to the model and others involved.
The statement reads, “Connections have been made to the terrible tragedy that occurred at the Munich Olympics due to our recent SL72 campaign. These connections were not intended, and we apologize for any upset or distress caused to communities around the world. We acknowledge that we made an unintentional mistake.”
In addition to Hadid, the company also apologized to their partners, including ASAP Nast, Jules Koundé, and others, for any negative impact the campaign may have had on them. The controversial campaign has since been revised.
The 1972 Munich Olympics were marred by the tragic deaths of 11 Israeli athletes and a German police officer at the hands of Palestinian terrorists from the group Black September. The American Jewish Committee condemned Adidas for using “a vocal anti-Israel model” in the campaign, stating that it was either a “massive oversight” or intentionally inflammatory.
The Combat Antisemitism Movement also expressed their disapproval, with their chief executive stating, “To have her launch a shoe commemorating an Olympics when so much Jewish blood was shed is just sick.”
Following the backlash, Adidas pulled the adverts on Friday and released a statement to their US partner network NBC News, saying, “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.”
It is clear that the company acknowledges their mistake and is taking steps to rectify it. The revised campaign will hopefully reflect a more sensitive and respectful approach towards the tragic events of the 1972 Munich Olympics.
