Overview
- A local Israeli promotion for Adidas’s Single Shoe service used images and a short Hebrew video of former IDF soldier Shalev Biton and circulated online, prompting sharp criticism from pro‑Palestinian activists.
- Adidas issued a public apology Monday, said the image came from a local activation rather than a global campaign, and pledged to listen and learn about the concerns raised.
- Campaigners and public figures including Javier Bardem urged a boycott, arguing the ad was insensitive because WHO estimates show thousands of traumatic limb amputations in Gaza since October 2023.
- Biton, who lost his left leg after being wounded in May 2021, said he has faced a heavy wave of online abuse and removed his promotional video from Instagram amid mischaracterizations about when and how he was injured.
- Activists continue to press Adidas to remove the material from Israeli stores and channels, and the episode raises questions about how global brands manage local marketing in politically charged conflicts as the Single Shoe service rolls out to other markets.