Adidas CEO Bjørn Gulden Affirms Bella Hadid Remains "a Friend of the Brand"

Gulden formally addresses the campaign controversy during the latest earnings call.

Adidas

Adidas CEO Bjørn Gulden has formally issued an apology for the contentious advertisement campaign featuring Bella Hadid for the SL72. During a recent earnings call with stakeholders, adidas reported a 12% revenue rise in Q2, and Gulden addressed the latest backlash.

During the earnings call, Gulden stated, “We erred in the assembly of various components of this campaign; when one makes a mistake, one must apologise and proceed — and that is precisely what we did.” During the same press conference, Gulden affirmed that adidas maintains a continuing association with the supermodel. He stated, “She remains a friend of the brand, and indeed, we compensate her in accordance with her contract.” Subsequent to adidas' initial apologies following the campaign's withdrawal, sources suggested that Hadid was contemplating legal action against adidas for their failure to assume responsibility. Regarding that issue, Gulden asserts, “We have not received any indication that she intends to initiate legal action against us.” I am unaware of the origin of the rumour.

Earlier this week, Hadid addressed the issue by posting a statement on her Instagram Story. She stated, “For those unfamiliar with my sentiments, I wish to ensure you receive direct communication from me regarding my recent collaboration with Adidas.” I would never intentionally associate with any art or work connected to a tragic catastrophe of any nature. Consistently expressing her pride in her Palestinian identity, Hadid stated, “I will eternally support my Palestinian people while persistently advocating for a world devoid of antisemitism.” Antisemitism is incompatible with the emancipation of the Palestinian people.