• Loading stock data...
Saturday, October 18, 2025

Adidas–Bella Hadid Olympics Campaign Controversy: Everything to Know

  • Adidas apologized after launching a campaign commemorating the 1972 Munich Olympics where 11 Israelis were murdered.
  • Hadid, featured in the campaign, has reportedly retained legal counsel to go after Adidas.
Sep 27, 2020; Washington, D.C., USA; A general view of an Adidas branded logo sign in front of an empty area of stands before the game between the D.C. United and the New England Revolution at Audi Field. Fans were not permitted to attend the game due to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
Scott Taetsch-USA TODAY Sports

Adidas is continuing to navigate the fallout from its latest marketing campaign fiasco: its SL 72 shoe campaign, which first launched in March.

Last week, the retailer faced major backlash over the campaign related to the 1972 Olympics in Munich—the same Games where 11 Israeli athletes and coaches were taken hostage and killed during an attack by Palestinian terrorist organization Black September. Adidas chose Palestinian model Bella Hadid, a sharp critic of Israel, as one of the campaign’s spokespeople.

The episode adds to a long history of tensions between the 75-year-old German brand and the Jewish community.

The company acknowledged its mistake Thursday afternoon after facing criticism from American and Israeli Jewish voices on social media, including the American Jewish Council and the State of Israel’s official X account. 

“The adidas Originals SL72 campaign unites a broad range of partners to celebrate our lightweight running shoe, designed more than 50 years ago and worn in sport and culture around the world,” a company spokesperson said in a statement to Front Office Sports and others on Thursday. “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.” Adidas said it would “revise” the rest of the campaign, which had included a billboard in Times Square, as well as several social media posts.

The company did not respond to a question from FOS asking how exactly the campaign would be revised. The SL 72 shoe line is still for sale, but Adidas has since deleted the social media posts for the campaign that featured Hadid.

Hadid has hired lawyers to potentially sue Adidas over the fallout from the campaign, according to multiple reports, and is displeased that she was placed in a campaign associating her with a terrorist attack. “Violence is not consistent with Bella’s views,” a source told US Weekly. She did, however, previously promote the campaign on her own Instagram.

It is unclear whether Hadid has been completely dropped for the campaign, and Adidas did not answer an FOS question about Hadid’s current status with the company. A spokesperson only referred to a statement released Sunday on the Adidas Originals Instagram account, apologizing “to our partners,” including Hadid, “for any negative impact on them” as a result of their likenesses being used in SL 72 advertisements. 

The SL 72 faux pas is just the latest in Adidas’s long history of controversies targeting the Jewish community. The company has been plagued with antisemitism since its earliest days: Brothers Adolf (“Adi”) and Rudolf Dassler, who founded the company in Herzogenaurach, Germany, both joined the Nazi party in 1933, remained members throughout WWII, and were accused of varying activities aiding the German war effort.

Almost a century later, Adidas is still blundering. In 2022, the company was criticized for how long it took to cut ties with Ye (formerly Kanye West) after he went on multiple antisemitic rants. And this spring, the brand had to redesign German soccer jerseys after critics pointed out that No. 44 looked too similar to the logo of the Schutzstaffel (“SS”), the Nazis’ elite paramilitary organization. 

In its statement on Thursday, however, Adidas assured consumers that it harbors no hateful views. “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.”

Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

May 27, 2025; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Indiana Pacers guard T.J. McConnell (9) shoots a three point basket over New York Knicks guard Josh Hart (3) during the third quarter of game four of the eastern conference finals for the 2025 NBA Playoffs at Gainbridge Fieldhouse

NBA Stars Swap Wine With League Friends and Foes

A wine-exchange tradition emerged from the bubble season’s close quarters.
Hansi Flick

Barcelona Players, Coach ‘Not Happy’ About Miami Game

La Liga is on the verge of relocating a December match.
Dave Checketts

Ex-Knicks President: When David Stern Accused Me of Skirting Cap

The Knicks walked away clean when accused of cap circumvention in the 1990s.
Oct 11, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Michigan Wolverines wide receiver Semaj Morgan (0) makes a catch for a first down in the first half against the USC Trojans at United Airlines Field at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.

Michigan Board Publicly Opposes Big Ten Investment Proposal

“The Big Ten does not need to be sold to save college sports.”

Featured Today

May 25, 2025; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Derek Jeter walks the red carpet on Sunday, May 25, 2025, ahead of the 109th running of the Indianapolis 500 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway

The Players’ Tribune Is Still Kicking 11 Years Later

Founder Derek Jeter is still closely involved in the publication.
Las Vegas Aces center A'ja Wilson (22) celebrates with her teammates after her last second shot to take the lead 90-88 against the Phoenix Mercury in Game 3 of the WNBA Finals at Mortgage Matchup Center in Phoenix on Oct. 8, 2025.
exclusive
October 10, 2025

Standoff Over WNBA’s Future Has Dominated Finals

CBA negotiations have stolen the spotlight from the Aces’ dominant performance.
Paul Cartier
October 5, 2025

Sports Organists Are Still Thriving in the Era of Raucous Arena Music

“When they walk out and they see a real organ guy, it’s like, ‘Wow.’”
Sep 27, 2025; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Milwaukee Brewers center fielder Jackson Chourio (11) rounds the bases after hitting a home run during the sixth inning against the Cincinnati Reds at American Family Field.
October 4, 2025

Milwaukee Moneyball: Brewers Are Beating MLB’s Deeper Pockets

Milwaukee is holding its own against big-budget competitors.
Limited Hype
July 27, 2025

Sneaker Reselling Was Once Easy Money. Success Is Now Complicated

Vendors need to evolve what they’re selling and how they do it.
August 12, 2025

‘We Have Pricing Power’: On Smashes Earnings Expectations

U.S. tariffs haven’t cooled demand for On’s high-priced sneakers and apparel.
Sponsored

How Jenny Just Is Shaping the Future of Sports Ownership

Jenny Just on bringing her investment experience to sports ownership.
Happy Gilmore 2 hockey stick putter
July 21, 2025

Callaway’s $500 ‘Happy Gilmore’ Putter Booming on Resale Market

Callaway released a limited-edition Odyssey-branded hockey stick putter.
A Lululemon store at Freehold Raceway Mall in Freehold Township, New Jersey on Nov. 30, 2023
July 2, 2025

Sportswear Stocks Rise as Trump Touts Vietnam Trade Deal

Tariffs on Vietnam imports will be 20%, down from a prior threat of 46%.
From vintage to unique collaborations, various Nike and Jordan shoes are displayed on a wall at Saved Soles inside West Ridge Mall.
June 26, 2025

Nike Stumbles Less Than Expected, Giving Wall Street Hope

The sports apparel and footwear giant beats Wall Street expectations.
Jun 20, 2024; Eugene, OR, USA; Detailed view of Nike Alphafly 3 racing flat at the Nike by Eugene store.
June 25, 2025

Investors Hunt for Signs Nike Has Regained Its Footing

Nike’s fundamentals are “still challenged.”