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Oscar-winning Spanish actor Javier Bardem has strongly condemned sportswear manufacturer Adidas after the company featured a soldier, who lost his leg while serving in the Israeli army, as the face of its "Single Shoe Service" advertising campaign.
In a statement on his social media account, the Oscar-winning Spanish actor joined the boycott against Adidas, urging his followers to stop buying products from the brand, which he said was doing propaganda for "genocidal Israel."
Bardem made an open call for the advertising campaign to be sabotaged through content he shared in his "stories" section.
In his stories, Bardem featured posts from pro-Palestinian organizations and individual activists criticizing the German brand over its campaign choice, writing, "Adidas chose a man with blood on his hands."
Bardem had also boycotted Adidas during last summer's FIFA World Cup, wearing a green jersey instead of the Spanish national team's classic red jersey, which is closely associated with the sportswear brand, in order to distance himself from it.
Bardem, who has openly supported the Palestinian people in the face of what he calls Israel's genocide, has also expressed his opposition at major film events, including wearing a Palestinian scarf at the Emmy Awards and carrying a "No to War" badge at the Goya Awards.
The campaign at the center of the controversy features former Israeli army soldier and amputee Shalev Biton, who lost his left leg in May 2021 while serving in the Nahal Brigade during Operation Guardian of the Walls, an Israeli military offensive in Gaza.
Biton was included in a local Israeli campaign promoting Adidas's Single Shoe service for amputees. He was among eleven disabled athletes featured in posters displayed at Adidas stores in Israel as part of the local promotion.
The One Shoe Service, launched by Adidas Israel, allows customers to buy a single running shoe for 50% of the price of a pair, aimed at people who need only one shoe.
Adidas has said the service launched in Europe in January and was developed with communities and professional organizations, including the British Paralympic Association.
Adidas has stressed that the Single Shoe service is a worldwide campaign and rejected suggestions that it was specifically for Israeli soldiers. The company said much of the criticism against it falsely claimed that Biton was involved in the current war in Gaza and accused him of participating in "genocide," or that he had lost his leg while serving in Gaza during the present conflict.
Adidas apologized for any "offense" caused, saying in a statement from its global headquarters that it recognized an image used in the local campaign had raised concerns and strong reactions, and that it was never the company's intent to offend.
The company added that it has a "long-standing commitment" to communities across the Middle East and said it would continue to listen, learn, and work to ensure its actions reflect its inclusive values.
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