Adidas is facing criticism from the American Jewish Committee for including model Bella Hadid in a marketing campaign for a retro 1972 Summer Olympic Games sneaker. The ad coincided with the anniversary of the Munich Games, where Palestinian terrorists killed 11 Israeli athletes. The AJC stated “for Adidas to pick a vocal anti-Israel model to recall this dark Olympics is either a massive oversight or intentionally inflammatory. Neither is acceptable. We call on Adidas to address this egregious error.” The Hadid sisters have faced criticism from pro-Israel groups for their support of relief efforts for Palestinians amid a war between Hamas and Israel.
Adidas apologized last night, saying in a statement: “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.” (THR)