Adidas Draws Backlash After Featuring Former Israeli Soldier in Advertisement
Adidas has come under scrutiny and criticism after featuring a former Israeli soldier, Shalev Biton, in the advertising campaign for its latest shoe in Israel. Biton became one of the figures in the Single-Shoe Service campaign, a programme intended for leg amputees, allowing them to purchase a single shoe at 50 per cent of the price of a pair.
According to Roya News, Biton is a former Israeli soldier who lost one of his legs. He is said to have taken part in an Israeli military operation in Gaza in 2021.
In a post on his personal Instagram account on 26 August, Biton shared his experience as a prosthetic leg user. He said that since returning to running, he still had to buy shoes in pairs even though he only used one of them.
“Since I started running, every time I bought running shoes, I bought a pair even though I actually only used one shoe,” Biton wrote in Hebrew, as reported by Roya News on Tuesday (8/9).
Biton then introduced the Adidas Israel programme, which he said offered a solution for people in similar circumstances.
“Today I am very happy to share that Adidas Israel has made that dream come true — the Single Shoe Service, a service that allows the purchase of a single running shoe for just 50 per cent of the price of a pair,” he wrote.
“All that remains now is to run,” Biton added.
However, Adidas’s decision to make Biton one of the faces of the campaign has drawn a strong reaction from a number of human rights activists and pro-Palestine groups.
They questioned the use of a former Israeli soldier in a campaign promoting inclusivity and assistance for amputees. The criticism relates in particular to the plight of Palestinians who have lost limbs as a result of the conflict.
“Are you doing the same for Palestinian residents who have lost limbs?” wrote one social media user.
Another user also highlighted the condition of Gaza residents who have undergone amputations as a result of the war.
“Perhaps Adidas should give the other shoes to the children of Gaza,” the user wrote.
This latest controversy recalls the polemic Adidas previously faced over the Israel-Palestine issue.
In mid-2024, the German sportswear company also drew criticism after removing Palestinian-American model Bella Hadid from the retro SL72 shoe campaign.
That campaign proved controversial because the SL72 model was first introduced to coincide with the 1972 Munich Olympics. Adidas subsequently revised the campaign after receiving criticism from Israel over Hadid’s involvement, as she has long been openly vocal in her support for Palestine.
The Shalev Biton case has once again placed Adidas in the spotlight over how the company conducts its marketing campaigns amid political and humanitarian sensitivities stemming from the Israel-Palestine conflict. (H-4)
The German sportswear and apparel company Adidas has issued an apology after its advertising campaign featuring former Israeli soldier Shalev Biton triggered calls for a boycott.