Adidas removes Bella Hadid from campaign linked to 1972 Munich Olympics

Adidas has removed pro-Palestinian supermodel Bella Hadid from an advertising campaign that drew criticism from Israel due to its reference to the 1972 Munich Olympics.

The campaign promoted the retro SL72 shoe, inspired by a design from the 1972 event, where the Palestinian group Black September took Israeli athletes hostage.

During the incident, eleven Israelis, a German policeman, and five Palestinian attackers were killed after a standoff at the Olympic village and the nearby Fuerstenfeldbruck airfield ended in a gunfight.

On Friday, the German sports brand announced that it would be “revising the remainder of the campaign” with immediate effect.

“We are conscious that connections have been made to tragic historical events – though these are completely unintentional – and we apologise for any upset or distress caused,” the company told AFP.

An Adidas spokeswoman confirmed that Hadid was removed from the campaign, which highlights the shoes' 1972 debut but does not mention the attack on Israeli athletes.

The Israeli embassy in Germany criticized choosing Hadid for the campaign.

“Guess who the face of the campaign is? Bella Hadid, a model with Palestinian roots who has spread anti-Semitism in the past and incited violence against Israelis and Jews,” the Israeli embassy in Germany wrote on X. 

“How can Adidas now claim that the reference [to the events in Munich] was ‘completely unintentional’?” Ron Prosor, Israel’s ambassador to Germany, commented on the company’s retreat.

“The terror of 1972 is etched into the collective memory of Germans and Israelis,” he told Die Welt TV on Friday.

Social media was flooded with support for Hadid, criticized Adidas for dropping her, and calls to boycott the company.

Adidas announced it will continue the SL72 campaign featuring other celebrities, such as footballer Jules Kounde, singer Melissa Bon, and model Sabrina Lan.