Athletics: ADIDAS retro shoes advertising withdrawn!
By Prof Dr Ian Blackshaw
It has often been said that sport and politics do not or, at least, should not mix.
Indeed, Article 50 of the Olympic Charter provides as follows:
“No kind of demonstration or political, religious or racial propaganda is permitted in any Olympic sites, venues or other areas.”
The International Paralympic Handbook contains a similar rule.
The German sportswear company, ADIDAS, has had to drop the super model, Bella Hadid, from its advertising for its retro shoes referencing the 1972 Munich Olympics.
The SL72 trainers, which were first launched to coincide with the 1972 Olympics, were recently relaunched by ADIDAS as part of a series reviving its classic trainers.
Israel complained about the advertising because Bella Hadid is half-Palestinian and, in June, had donated, with her sister, Gigi, also a supermodel, the sum of US$1 million, to support relief efforts for the Palestinians in the war in Gaza. And also, the advertising refers back to the Palestinian Black September Group, which broke into the Olympic village at the 1972 Games, killing Israeli athletes and a German police officer.
ADIDAS stated that Hadid had been removed from the advertising and that it was “revising the remainder of the campaign” for the shoes.
And added that:
“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.”
Prof Dr Ian Blackshaw may be contacted by e-mail at ‘
