Adidas’s Arsenal football kit promotion sabotaged by antisemitic trolls
Manufacturer 'immediately turned off the functionality' of the online campaign after accounts including 'Gas All Jews' and 'Innocent Hitler' tweeted out
Arsenal has condemned antisemitic trolls who hijacked the football club’s new kit launch.
A social media initiative by Adidas, inviting people to personalise the kit with Twitter handles, backfired spectacularly when terms like @GasAllJewws appeared on the back of the north London team’s famous red and white shirts.
The manufacturer suspended its ‘Dare To Create’ scheme, in which people’s Twitter handles appeared on the new strips, alongside the message “This is home. Welcome to the squad”.
Handles, including ‘GasAllJewss’ and ‘Innocent Hitler’ appeared, leading to Adidas UK sending out tweets welcoming them.
Other offensive messages called for the death of black people, referenced the Hillsborough tragedy and Madeline McCann, the young child who went missing in 2007.
Adidas UK told the Guardian: “As part of our partnership launch with Arsenal we have been made aware of the abuse of a Twitter personalisation mechanic created to allow excited fans to get their name on the back of the new jersey.
“Due to a small minority creating offensive versions of this we have immediately turned off the functionality and the Twitter team will be investigating.”
An Arsenal spokesperson told Jewish News: “We totally condemn the use of language of this nature, which has no place in our game or society.”
“We work hard as a club to encourage diversity and inclusion through our Arsenal for Everyone programme, launched in 2008 as a celebration of the diversity of the Arsenal family. Through a number of initiatives undertaken in the community, inside Emirates Stadium and throughout the club, Arsenal strives to ensure that everyone associated with the club feels an equal sense of belonging.”
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