Bonds has found itself at the centre of a social media storm after unveiling musician Adam Hyde, best known as Keli Holiday, as the face of its latest campaign.
The Australian giant announced Adam as the star of its campaign celebrating the 25th anniversary of its Guyfront Trunk on Sunday, revealing the frontman would model three limited-edition designs.
But the announcement was immediately met with a wave of criticism, with disgruntled shoppers threatening to boycott the brand and questioning why it had chosen the controversial performer.
‘How did we go from @robertirwinphotography to this clown,’ one person wrote, referring to previous Bonds ambassador Robert Irwin.
‘Boycott Bonds,’ another commented.
‘Time to burn our bras,’ a third added.
Bonds has found itself at the centre of a social media storm after unveiling musician Adam Hyde, best known as Keli Holiday, as the face of its latest campaign
But the announcement was immediately met with a wave of criticism, with disgruntled shoppers threatening to boycott the brand and questioning why it had chosen the controversial performer. (Pictured with girlfriend Abbie Chatfield)
‘Ummm, not my first choice but you do you Bonds…’ another follower wrote.
‘This is deadset the worst move for Bonds ever,’ one user claimed.
‘Gross!! Since when is so much hair sexy?’ another commented.
‘You’ve lost me. He’s a total bloody flog. Read the room Bonds,’ another wrote.
‘Bonds are not Australian owned anymore. Should be promoting Australian goods,’ another added.
Another compared the company to a rival Australian label, writing: ‘That reminds me, thanks @tradiebrand for having a better marketing team… and for just being a better brand.’
The backlash comes during a turbulent period for Hyde, 37, who has been at the centre of several controversies in recent months.
In May, the musician was detained at the US-Canada border and denied re-entry into the United States while on tour, forcing him to cancel the final show of his North American tour in New York.
Hyde, who was travelling under his solo music project Keli Holiday, was scheduled to perform four shows across the US and Canada between May 1 and May 7 before the tour came to an abrupt halt.
‘How did we go from @robertirwinphotography to this clown,’ one person wrote, referring to previous Bonds ambassador Robert Irwin
The backlash comes during a turbulent period for Hyde, 37, who has been at the centre of several controversies in recent months
Taking to Instagram at the time, he revealed he had spent the day being detained despite holding what he believed to be the correct travel documentation.
‘Hello stunnas, unfortunately I’m not going to make it to tonight’s show at Baby’s All Right in NYC,’ he wrote.
‘I have spent all day detained at the Canadian border and denied entry back into the US despite having the proper visa documentation in place. I’m still trying to get clarity on the situation myself.
‘I hate letting people down and to be honest, really wanted to party with you all.’
A representative later confirmed Hyde had returned to Australia after the incident.
While US authorities have never publicly explained why Hyde was denied entry, the incident fuelled widespread online speculation after his girlfriend, media personality Abbie Chatfield, apologised for comments she made in a controversial video last year.
In the clip, Chatfield made finger gun gestures while discussing political violence in the United States, comments many interpreted as referring to US President Donald Trump.
Although she never mentioned Trump by name, the remarks attracted significant backlash online.
Chatfield issued a public apology, saying she regretted making the video and insisting she did not support political violence.
In May, the musician was detained at the US-Canada border and denied re-entry into the United States while on tour, forcing him to cancel the final show of his North American tour in New York
While US authorities have never publicly explained why Hyde was denied entry, the incident fuelled widespread online speculation after his girlfriend, media personality Abbie Chatfield, apologised for comments she made in a controversial video last year
Chatfield issued a public apology, saying she regretted making the video and insisting she did not support political violence
‘I do NOT believe that political assassinations are positive for anybody,’ she said.
‘I never called for the assassination of [Trump]. This was a punchline… about incels.’
She added that she had ‘done so much work’ to better understand the impact of her words and acknowledged the attempted joke had ‘wasn’t funny’.
There is no evidence US authorities linked Hyde’s denied entry to Chatfield’s comments.
The Bonds campaign also comes after Hyde quietly pulled out of performing at a major horse racing event earlier this year following backlash from fans over his booking.
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The musician was initially announced as part of the entertainment line-up before organisers confirmed he would no longer be performing after the decision sparked criticism online.
The latest campaign marks Hyde’s biggest commercial endorsement to date, with Bonds describing the collaboration as a celebration of the Guyfront Trunk’s 25th anniversary.
‘Musician and frontman @keliholiday takes centre stage to help us celebrate 25 years of the iconic Guyfront Trunk,’ the company wrote on Instagram.
‘We’ve created a limited-edition design that blends iconic heritage with timeless comfort.’
Daily Mail has contacted Bonds for comment.
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