Betting group Paddy Power has issued an apology for running an ad that contained derogatory language toward the LGBT community in the UK.
The ad was named "Fan Denial", and had featured comments from fans of particular football clubs that were playing specific matches. During the match between Chelsea and Arsenal for the FA Cup, comments were posted, some of which had homophobic language. The comments were noticed by many, some of whom recorded the ad and pointed out the folly to Paddy Power and groups like Kick It Out, who aims to promote inclusivity in football.
In a statement Paddy Power wrote: "We are very sorry for any offence caused before it was removed. We are reviewing our approval processes on content produced by third parties to ensure content on our platform is in line with our values as a brand.
"We are very proud of the work we have done around LGBTQ+ issues, and intend to continue being Allies to the community."
The company also said that they do not condone the use of such terms. It's almost certain that they'll be more cautious about the language used in spots in the future.
Comments
I haven't seen the Ad itself but it is shocking to me how something that is considered to be derogatory even managed to be put out. Although it's good they apologized, it never should have happened in the first place.
CL - klaw