Adidas Drops Bella Hadid From New Campaign
Adidas drops Bella Hadid from the SL72 campaign following backlash from the Israeli government over its connection to the 1972 Munich Olympics.
Adidas received criticism from the Israeli government and other Jewish groups for including Hadid in their campaign advert for their SL72 shoes. This retro shoe campaign also includes Jules Koundé, A$AP Nast, Melissa Bon, and Sabrina Lan.
Adidas Originals with a New Campaign for its SL72 Silhouette, Including Bella Hadid & Jules Kounde #adidas #art #sport pic.twitter.com/aHRbylxnP8
— Fubiz (@fubiz) July 17, 2024
The 1972 Munich Olympics saw a tragic incident on September 5, when members of the Palestinian group Black September infiltrated the Olympic Village. They killed two athletes from Israel’s national team and took nine others hostage. The attackers aimed to secure the release of Palestinian prisoners held in Israel, as well as two left-wing extremists imprisoned in West Germany.
The SL72 campaign marks the 52 anniversary of the Munich Olympics. The Israeli government’s official X page objected to Hadid being the “face of their campaign.” Consequently, Adidas apologized and deleted any posts featuring the model. Moreover, they stated “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.”
The sportswear company added, “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.”
Hadid, who is half-Palestinian, has been extremely vocal about her support for Palestine in the ongoing Israel-Palestine war. On October 27 last year, the model shared a statement on Instagram, stating “My heart is bleeding with the pain from the trauma I am seeing unfold, as well as the generational trauma of my Palestinian blood.”
Moreover, she has been using her Instagram platform to educate her followers about the struggle of the Palestinian people. In May this year, the model wore a red and white checkered Keffiyeh dress by the brand Michael & Hushi for her appearance at the 77 Cannes Film Festival.
Hadid wrote in the caption “Palestine on my mind, in my blood and on my heart. Always… While I still have to go to work, even through this horror, to wear our culture makes me a proud Palestinian & I want the world to continue to see Palestine, wherever we go.” Additionally, the model went on to share the symbolic meaning of the Keffiyeh, which has always been a symbol of Palestinian resilience and liberation.
She has also removed her post featuring the campaign from her Instagram. According to TMZ, the model has hired a legal counsel to take legal action against Adidas for “their lack of public accountability.”
Although Hadid is still under contract with Adidas, it will be interesting to see how this plays out. You can keep up with Glitter for more updates.
