ROUGHRIDERS APOLOGIZE FOR AD CAMPAIGN
REGINA – The Saskatchewan Roughriders apologized Wednesday for issuing an email to season-ticket holders that resulted in a backlash from fans.
In the email to season-ticket holders entitled, “Girl Math is When Cheaper Tickets = Free Drinks!”, the marketing campaign featured an ad that in part read, “Proficient in girl math it’s basically free.”
It also includes the phrases, “Literally the best excuse for cute matching outfits,” and “Take the stairs. Earn the seltzers.”
Some Riders fans, many women, suggested the ad promoted negative stereotypes and hinted at body-shaming and toxic diet culture. The campaign was also criticized as being patronizing and demeaning to women.
One fan posted on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter: “What are you thinking?! This is abhorrent, disrespectful, misogynistic and disgusting. Full retraction, fire whoever did this and do some heavy-duty trust rebuilding cuz you have lost this lifelong fan.”
Another posted: “Do better! There is no place for misogynistic ads! Shame on you!”
The Roughriders issued a statement Wednesday apologizing for the contents of the ad.
“(On Tuesday) the Saskatchewan Roughrider sent an email to members of the fan base that missed the mark,” Jacqueline Hurlbert, the Riders’ director of marketing, said in the statement. “(On Wednesday) we emailed them again unequivocally apologizing for it.
“The Roughriders’ staff is made up of 50 per cent women, and the ‘girl math’ email was imagined, developed and deployed by women within our marketing team, but we heard from our female fans that this message did not resonate with them. We will use this as a learning opportunity to be better in the future.
“We value contributions from women in our fan base, in football, and in our community and thank them for their guidance and feedback.”
Girl math is a reference often seen on Tik Tok, a social media outlet.
It’s used to describe accounting decisions that don’t add up in terms of the bottom line.
(Canadian Press)
Absolutely We live in the world of “apologies” and a day that ends in y is perfect for someone to wake up offended. I am a season ticket holder. It was another tone deaf blunder Hardly worth the cbc to go up and arms. Notice the old bat they yanked in front of the camera to lay out just how offended she was.. ..I looked at the TV screen. Looked her up on internet and she is in another article re…..regina folk fest….so they know who to go to for a report on being offended The only offense I had… Read more »
Bozo Reynolds doesn’t vette what goes out the door with the organization he’s in charge of overseeing makes him incompetent, he needs to step down and resign.
….he would have absolutely vetted this going out the door. He assigns the work tasks making him the defacto Project Manager. If this were Donald Trump’s Celebrity Apprentice he’d hammered on this to the point it would end with…”..yeah but you’re in charge….(name) you’re fired.” A Marketing Manager is not going to dream up something, spend money on it, pull in stakeholders for feedback, and it doesn’t get final approval by her Manager. Anything associated with the brand of the Saskatchewan Roughriders is on the CEO desk. In FACT – this CEO guy would be sitting on google and probably… Read more »
Once again those “Hillbilly “Bum”kins” from the prairie have done made themselves look stupid for all the world to see.
…Corb Lund was on an episode of Q quite awhile ago. Jian Ghomeshi was hosting. They had a nice banter back and forth about Corb’s song; “Long Gone To Saskatchewan”. Jian barely knew where Saskatchewan was other than seriously saying “isn’t it between Alberta and Manitoba where your drummer is from?” Corb then goes onto explain Saskatchewan is “everyonen’s little brother” You look at the way the world is going. Paul Hill said this and keep in mind how dumb that guy is. Since 1944 and the NDP Tommy Douglas, our biggest export has been smart educated and skilled people.… Read more »