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Adidas Apologizes Over Campaign Featuring Former Israeli Soldier
(MENAFN) German sportswear giant Adidas apologized Monday following criticism of a promotional campaign that featured a former Israeli soldier and triggered calls for a boycott.
The campaign highlighted Shalev Biton, a former Israeli army serviceman who lost his left leg after being wounded during his military service in 2021. He was featured as part of Adidas’s promotion of its Single Shoe service.
“We recognize that an image used in a recent local activation by the local team has raised concerns and strong reactions,” Adidas said in a statement.
“It was never our intent to cause offense and we apologize for anyone affected,” the company added, stressing that the promotion was organized locally and was not part of a worldwide campaign.
Biton appeared alongside 10 other disabled athletes in posters displayed at Adidas stores across Israel.
Pro-Palestinian campaigners condemned the inclusion of a former Israeli soldier in a promotion focused on people with limb loss. They drew comparisons with the large number of Palestinians who have lost limbs during Israel’s war in Gaza.
Figures released by the World Health Organization in May indicated that more than 5,000 traumatic limb amputations and over 22,000 serious extremity injuries had been recorded in Gaza since October 2023. Children accounted for as much as one-quarter of those suffering life-altering injuries, according to the organization.
Spanish actor Javier Bardem was among the public figures calling for a boycott of Adidas over the campaign.
The company said its Single Shoe service was created to support greater accessibility and inclusion, allowing customers with limb differences to purchase only the shoe they require rather than an entire pair.
Adidas launched the service across 23 European countries in January, making individual shoes available for half the price of a standard pair at its own stores and outlets. The initiative was developed in consultation with disability organizations, including ParalympicsGB.
The service has since been expanded to markets across Europe, Asia and the Middle East, including Palestine, the United Arab Emirates, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar and Egypt.
Adidas said it would “continue to listen, learn and work to ensure that our actions reflect the inclusive values we stand for.”
The campaign highlighted Shalev Biton, a former Israeli army serviceman who lost his left leg after being wounded during his military service in 2021. He was featured as part of Adidas’s promotion of its Single Shoe service.
“We recognize that an image used in a recent local activation by the local team has raised concerns and strong reactions,” Adidas said in a statement.
“It was never our intent to cause offense and we apologize for anyone affected,” the company added, stressing that the promotion was organized locally and was not part of a worldwide campaign.
Biton appeared alongside 10 other disabled athletes in posters displayed at Adidas stores across Israel.
Pro-Palestinian campaigners condemned the inclusion of a former Israeli soldier in a promotion focused on people with limb loss. They drew comparisons with the large number of Palestinians who have lost limbs during Israel’s war in Gaza.
Figures released by the World Health Organization in May indicated that more than 5,000 traumatic limb amputations and over 22,000 serious extremity injuries had been recorded in Gaza since October 2023. Children accounted for as much as one-quarter of those suffering life-altering injuries, according to the organization.
Spanish actor Javier Bardem was among the public figures calling for a boycott of Adidas over the campaign.
The company said its Single Shoe service was created to support greater accessibility and inclusion, allowing customers with limb differences to purchase only the shoe they require rather than an entire pair.
Adidas launched the service across 23 European countries in January, making individual shoes available for half the price of a standard pair at its own stores and outlets. The initiative was developed in consultation with disability organizations, including ParalympicsGB.
The service has since been expanded to markets across Europe, Asia and the Middle East, including Palestine, the United Arab Emirates, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar and Egypt.
Adidas said it would “continue to listen, learn and work to ensure that our actions reflect the inclusive values we stand for.”
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