Jenny, Adidas Israel advertisement controversy spreads... Calls for 'Boycott Adidas' continue on social media

As Jennie collaborated with adidas to unveil her first joint design collection, the controversy surrounding adidas’ local advertisement in Israel is also affecting Jennie’s social media. On the 1st, Jennie launched the ’adidas Originals by JENNIE’ collection worldwide and revealed campaign photos on the 7th. This project is her first collaboration in which she directly participated in the design and campaign production, marking her debut as a co-designer after serving as an adidas ambassador for a long time. The advertisement controversy began with adidas Israel’s ’Single Shoe’ promotion. This service sells a single shoe at half the price of a pair for customers who need only one shoe, such as those with amputations. adidas hired Chaleb Biton, an Israeli military veteran, as the local advertising model. He is known to have lost his left leg in 2021 due to an anti-tank missile attack fired from the Gaza Strip during his military service. Pro-Palestinian activists criticized the ad for featuring a former Israeli soldier amid a situation where many civilians and children lost limbs in the Gaza Strip war. Subsequently, some overseas fans and netizens left protest comments on Jennie and her agency OA Entertainment’s social media posts, such as ″Free Palestine″ and ″Jennie, please leave this brand,″ demanding the termination of the collaboration. Voices calling for severing ties with the brand continued with the hashtag ’#BoycottAdidas.’ As the controversy persisted, adidas apologized on the 7th, stating, ″We acknowledge that the image caused concern″ and ″There was no intention to cause discomfort.″ adidas explained that the advertisement was a separate promotion conducted by the local team in Israel and not a global campaign. Jennie’s collection and the controversial Israeli advertisement are separate projects, and it is known that Jennie did not participate in or involve herself in the production of the advertisement.