Adidas has found itself in the midst of a public relations nightmare again after launching a sneaker campaign tied to the 1972 Munich Olympics, where 11 Israeli athletes were brutally murdered by Arab terrorists.
The controversy erupted last week when Adidas chose antisemitic supermodel Bella Hadid to model its iconic SL 72 sneaker, which was originally released in 1972 and worn by athletes at the Munich Games. Hadid has often accused the Jewish state perpetratrating ethnic cleansing, occupation, and apartheid against Arabs.
Join the JBN+ WhatsApp GroupAs outrage grew, Adidas pulled the supermodel late Thursday and issued an apology for any connections made to the tragic historical event.
“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.”
Controversially, Adidas issued a second apology this week to Hadid and other antisemitic celebrities that were also cut from their Olympic shoe campaign.
“Connections continue to be made to the terrible tragedy that occurred at the Munich Olympics due to our recent SL72 campaign. These connections are not meant, and we apologize for any upset or distress caused to communities around the world. We made an unintentional mistake,” Adidas wrote on X.
“We also apologize to our partners, Bella Hadid, A$AP Nast, Jules Koundé, and others, for any negative impact on them.”
Adidas, whose founders were members of the Nazi party, also announced plans to revise their campaign in an attempt to mitigate further public relations damage.
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