Calls for boycott against Adidas continue: Palestinian model removed from advertisement

Following criticism from Israel, Adidas removed Hadid, who has long been vocal about Palestinian rights, from the shoe advertisement.

According to a report by the Daily Mail citing a source familiar with the matter, Hadid has notified her lawyers regarding legal processes, while the brand apologized for "any upset or distress caused" by the advertising campaign.

Following the company's decision, numerous social media users defended Hadid and reacted against Adidas.

One social media user stated, "Bella Hadid is a hero! I hope Adidas suffers from the boycott," while another user commented, "Sorry guys, I'm not buying Adidas because of the cowardly way they treated Bella Hadid."

As reactions toward Adidas evolved into calls for a boycott, users posted messages such as, "After the Bella Hadid incident, we will say goodbye to Adidas. Those who embolden genocide perpetrators should not receive any money from our hard-earned income. The Arab and pro-Palestinian boycott is causing an earthquake at Starbucks and McDonald's... Adidas, adios!"

'DISCOMFORT OVER PUBLIC PRESSURE'

Political analyst Sami Hamdi pointed to the impact of boycotts on other companies perceived to be supporting Israel, which continues its deadly attacks on the Gaza Strip.

Hamdi said, "McDonald's, Starbucks, KFC, and other brands have already begun to experience the effects of boycott movements in Muslim-majority countries, and many of these brands have had to close many of their branches. Calls have already begun for Adidas to be boycotted in the same way."

Hamdi noted that Tel Aviv is increasingly struggling due to the growing negative perception of it in the public eye.

"There is a growing panic in Tel Aviv that Israel is losing its monopoly on public discourse," said Hamdi, adding that Israel's allies are beginning to feel uncomfortable with the increasing pro-Palestinian public pressure.

Hamdi assessed, "For this reason, Israel is attacking brands that imply sympathy for Palestine, even remotely, in a desperate attempt to stifle Palestinian voices that are very influential in shaping public opinion. Hiring Bella Hadid and then firing her reflects the confusion and uncertainty of Germany and Adidas regarding how to manage their guilty conscience over a past genocide while dealing with a public that is increasingly vocal in condemning the genocide happening today."

Sami Al-Arian, Director of the Center for Islam and Global Affairs (CIGA) at Istanbul Zaim University and a Palestinian activist, told AA that the sportswear brand Adidas is guilty of "targeting celebrities and famous individuals who support the Palestinian struggle."

Al-Arian commented, "I think a boycott can be launched against Adidas products, and Adidas may have to learn this lesson the hard way because they prefer their profits over their principles."

Noting that the actions of Adidas and other multinational companies targeting pro-Palestinian and pro-boycott celebrities have sparked reactions in the Arab and Muslim world, Al-Arian stated that the stance taken by many of these celebrities is a matter of principle against an ideology that "aims for one racist group to dominate another group."

'ISRAEL PRESSURES MULTINATIONAL COMPANIES'

Al-Arian said, "There must be a price for such companies to support Israel and the Zionist regime, and this price should harm the profits they earn from the Muslim world, which is a massive market for them with more than 1.8 billion people, and a boycott against Adidas should be part of this struggle."

Palestinian activist Al-Arian noted that removing Hadid from the campaign would mean bowing to Israeli pressure to prevent the Palestinian cause from being advocated by celebrities, saying, "Bella Hadid's heritage belongs to Palestinians, and they should have known that Hadid was outspoken about Palestine."

Accusing Adidas of complicity in undermining Palestinian rights, Al-Arian said, "Signing a contract with Hadid and then dropping her is the height of hypocrisy when it comes to the Palestinian cause. Israel is pressuring these multinational companies not to support celebrities and famous individuals who advocate for the Palestinian struggle."

Following the backlash, although Adidas apologized to names including Hadid, stating, "We made an unintentional mistake. We apologize to Bella Hadid, ASAP Nast, Jules Kounde, and our other partners for any negative impact on them, and we are revising the campaign," there was no change in the brand's stance.

8.2 BILLION EUROS IN SALES ACROSS 3 REGIONS

Adidas's 2023 annual report shows that Europe, the Middle East, and Africa account for the largest share of the company's total sales, at 39 percent with 8.2 billion euros in sales.

While sales in the Asia-Pacific region reached 2.3 billion euros (11 percent of global sales) in the same year, these 4 regions of the world account for 50 percent of Adidas's sales.

Considering the significant Muslim population in these regions, questions arise about how Adidas's stance will affect its 2024 sales, bringing to mind the recent backlash faced by brands like Starbucks and McDonald's following Israel's attacks on Gaza.

In February, McDonald's announced that the conflict had "significantly impacted" its sales in the last quarter of 2023, particularly in the Middle East and Muslim-majority countries such as Malaysia and Indonesia.

Starbucks had announced that it had laid off approximately 2,000 employees in the Middle East due to boycotts.