Adidas Apologizes to Bella Hadid Over Latest Olympic Campaign

Adidas issued a second apology specifically to Bella Hadid and other celebrities involved in the campaign. This came after Hadid took issue with the campaign’s connection to the sensitive topic of the 1972 Munich Olympic Massacre. Adidas acknowledged it was “unintentional” and apologized for any distress caused.

Global sportswear brand Adidas has apologized to Palestinian-American supermodel Bella Hadid after she threatened legal action over a controversial ad campaign. The 1972 Munich Olympics, a tragic event where 11 Israeli athletes were killed, inspired the campaign.

Adidas stated, “We apologize for any upset or distress caused by our recent SL72 campaign, which was not meant to connect to the tragic events of the Munich Olympics“. They also extended their apologies to Hadid and other partners, including A$AP Nast and Jules Koundé.

Hadid, Nast, and Koundé participated in the Adidas “SL72” campaign, modeling sneakers inspired by the 1972 Munich Olympics. The shoes were first released in 1972 to equip the athletes competing in the summer games.

The games held that year were particularly tragic. A horrific massacre took place just a week into the multi-sport event. The Palestinian Black September militant group took 11 Israeli athletes and coaches hostage and murdered all of them. They also killed a West German police officer.

Bella Hadid hired legal counsel, expressing that Adidas failed to acknowledge the historical sensitivity of the campaign. Hadid, known for her strong views against violence, found the campaign’s references to the Munich Olympics inappropriate.

The campaign also faced criticism from Israel, which condemned both the campaign and Hadid’s involvement due to her Palestinian heritage. This controversy led Adidas to revise the rest of the campaign and reaffirm their commitment to diversity and equality in their statement.

The American Jewish Committee slammed the advertisement on Thursday, demanding that the company change the “egregious error” they made when creating a campaign that “recall[ed] this dark Olympics.”

Hadid has yet to release a statement regarding the campaign controversy.