In a conversation with Norwegian philanthropist Nicolai Tangen said “In Good Company,” Adidas’s CEO was asked about the retailer’s partnership with Kanye West and how collaboration between them fell apart.
Further, Gulden said on the podcast that “He did some statements, which wasn’t that good and that caused Adi to break the contract and withdraw the product,” which aired on September, 12.
“Very unfortunate because I don’t think he meant what he said and I don’t think he’s a bad person — it just came across that way,” Gulden added.
Last fall, the German sneaker giant Adidas stated it was ending an ubiquitous partnership with Kanye West by pulling Yeezy products from its shelves after he passed widely condemned antisemitic statements.
“I’m a bit sleepy tonight but when I wake up I’m going death con 3 On JEWISH PEOPLE,” Kanye wrote in a deleted post on October 9.
Following a prevalent public screech, Adidas announced that they have ended its affiliation or relationship with Ye, and have also stopped production of Yeezy-branded products and made a settlement with Ye and his organisations.
Along with Adidas, Foot Locker and Gap followed suit and announced that they would pull Yeezy products from their stores.
Gulden, who took over as CEO of Adidas around a month after the controversy broke, described the company’s split from Ye as “very sad” because it meant the store “lost that business,” which he described as one of the most successful collaborations in history.
“You know when you work with third parties, that could happen and you know it’s part of the game. That can happen with an athlete, it can happen with an entertainer, so it’s part of the business,” Gulden said.
In addition, earlier on the podcast, Gulden called Ye “one of the most creative people in the world,” both in terms of music and street culture.
Despite its CEO’s public comments, an Adidas representative told CNBC that the company’s view on Ye “has not changed.”
“Ending the partnership was appropriate,” the representative said.
- Published By Team Genuine Reporter