Don’t Forgive Adidas’ New Campaign with Bella Hadid

Imagine, for a moment, being an Olympic athlete from Israel.

Imagine living your life knowing that the dream you’re training daily to achieve is intimately tied to one of the most traumatic events in your country’s history: the tragic loss of 11 members of the Israeli Olympic team during a terror attack at the 1972 Munich Games.

Now, imagine trying to prepare for an Olympics while your country has been gripped by grief and chaos for the past nine months since Hamas terrorists launched a surprise attack from Gaza, killing approximately 1,200 Israelis and taking 250 hostages on October 7th.

Adding to the turmoil, imagine witnessing the international community turning against your country for responding forcefully to what it perceives as an existential threat.

Next, imagine preparing to compete in France, a country where antisemitism is rampant and where the 500,000 Jews remaining face constant tension. Any success you achieve could be clouded by controversy due to your government’s actions and the humanitarian impact of the war in Gaza. Your very presence at the world’s grandest sporting event might not only make you a pariah in some circles but potentially a target.

Israeli athletes will already face immense challenges at the Paris Games. They don’t need a prominent sports brand contributing to the antisemitism they endure.

This week, Adidas made headlines by relaunching its SL 72 sneaker and featuring a notorious anti-Israel figure in its marketing campaign, which is nothing short of an outrage.

This wasn’t a mere oversight in a marketing campaign; it was a deliberate choice, one that should never be forgiven by Israelis or Jews worldwide.

Mistakes can happen in marketing, even within large corporations. However, Adidas’ provocative decision is not just bizarre but also blatantly inappropriate. It almost seems as if Adidas wanted to make a disturbing statement contradicting the essence of the Olympic spirit.

Firstly, relaunching the original SL 72 sneaker from the 1972 Olympics was a misguided move. The Munich Games marked a significant moment for Adidas as it debuted the trefoil logo, a symbol associated with the brand until the 1990s when it rebranded with three stripes.

However, for the rest of the world, the 1972 Olympics are primarily remembered for the horrific massacre in which eight Palestinian terrorists killed two Israeli victims and took nine hostages, who also perished during a failed rescue operation. This remains the darkest chapter in Olympic history.

While Adidas may be proud of its ties to the Olympics, the events of 1972 should not be commodified for profit. They should be remembered as a profound security failure and a stark reminder of the dangers Israelis face, regardless of their location.

Secondly, featuring model Bella Hadid as the face of the sneaker campaign is completely outrageous. Hadid, an American whose father was born in Nazareth and whose family fled to Syria during the conflict following Israel’s establishment, is known for her pro-Palestinian views and vocal criticism of the situation in Gaza.

While it’s her right to express these opinions, her social media presence has frequently been filled with anti-Israel sentiments, false information, and antisemitic stereotypes. Last year, her sister Gigi Hadid was named a finalist in the “Antisemite of the Year” awards by the StopAntisemitism watchdog group.

Choosing a figure widely known for anti-Israel rhetoric to headline a campaign tied to an Olympics where Israeli athletes were murdered is no coincidence. This decision is insensitive and inflammatory, especially during a time of rising antisemitism and anti-Israel sentiment worldwide.

Moreover, Adidas’ historical context cannot be ignored. The company was founded by Adolf Dassler, who joined the Nazi party in 1933. Adidas cut ties with Kanye West in 2022 after his antisemitic comments, stating it does not tolerate antisemitism or hate speech.

Given its past and the recent controversy with West, one would expect Adidas’ leaders to be extremely cautious about anything that might be perceived as antisemitic.

Unfortunately, this wasn’t the case here.

Adidas issued a statement acknowledging the unintended connections to tragic historical events and apologized for any distress caused. The company pledged to adjust its campaign moving forward.

As we approach an Olympics where the vulnerability of Israeli athletes will be prominent given the global context and France’s precarious stance with antisemitism, the prudent action would be to cancel the campaign entirely.

Source: USA TODAY