Adidas removes campaign with Bella Hadid due to historical scandal

The Adidas brand found itself at the center of the scandal, removing the advertising campaign with the participation of the model Bella Hadid. She promoted the relaunch of the SL 72 line of sneakers created for the 1972 Olympics in Munich. This event received an unexpected reaction due to the historical events that occurred during those Games.

The campaign and its connection with history

At the Munich Olympics, the Palestinian terrorist organization "Black September" killed 11 members of the Israeli national team and a local policeman. Although the link between the campaign and those events was unintentional, the public and representatives of the American Jewish Committee expressed their outrage.

Adidas reaction

Adidas was quick to respond to the criticism, stating:

"We recognize that links have been made by shoppers with tragic historical events - although they were completely unintentional - and apologize for any upset or concern caused. We are reviewing the remainder of the campaign. We believe in sport as a a unifying force around the world and will continue our efforts to protect diversity and equality in everything we do."

Scandals around Bella Hadid

This is not the first scandal with Bella Hadid related to her political views. In November 2023, Dior stopped working with the model due to her comments regarding Hamas attacks on Israeli territories. Her place was then taken by the Israeli model Mai Tager.

What's next for Adidas?

Adidas has promised to carefully review its future advertising campaigns to avoid similar conflicts in the future. The brand emphasized its commitment to unification through sport and the protection of diversity and equality.

Editor: Emiliia Morozova