Adidas apologises for 1972 Olympics ad as Bella Hadid consults lawyers

The Adidas brand recently launched an advertising campaign for the reissue of the classic SL 72 sports shoes, which were first introduced during the Munich Olympics in 1972. Bella Hadid was the face of the project, and the brand shared the results of their collaboration on social media. However, the promotional campaign has caused significant controversy.

A historical context overshadowed the brand’s advertising activities, as the Munich Olympics were marred by an attack by the Palestinian terrorist group 'Black September,' which resulted in the death of 11 members of the Israeli team and one German police officer. The involvement of Hadid, who has Palestinian roots and has actively supported efforts to help Palestinians for years, also sparked controversy. CNN reported on the issue, among other outlets.

Adidas faced a wave of criticism on social media, and the issue was mentioned on Israel's official account on Twitter. Meanwhile, the American Jewish Committee called on the brand to address the "huge oversight." Conversely, the pro-Palestinian side believes this is an attempt to discredit the model because of her heritage and views.

The criticism eventually reached Adidas itself, which removed the posts featuring Hadid from their official profiles and issued 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 - the company conveyed, as quoted by NBC News.

At the same time, it was assured that the rest of the campaign would be revised, and the brand hopes "to continue efforts towards diversity and equality." The media noted, however, that although the posts featuring Hadid were removed from the brand's profiles, her picture still appeared on their website.

TMZ learned that the model is still bound by a contract with Adidas despite the scandal. It was also revealed how Hadid herself allegedly reacted to the scandal. TMZ claims she has already hired lawyers and plans to assert her rights in court. The model believes that Adidas did not take full responsibility for the commotion caused and that she is now being portrayed negatively because of their actions.

Our sources say she's upset the company would put out a campaign that would associate anyone with a tragedy like the Munich Massacre at the 1972 Olympics ... with violence running in contrast to BH's own views.