This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/feb/26/adidas-stop-selling-offensive-world-cup-t-shirts-brazil
The article has changed 3 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 0 | Version 1 |
|---|---|
| Adidas to stop selling Brazil World Cup T-shirts that 'encourage sexual tourism' | Adidas to stop selling Brazil World Cup T-shirts that 'encourage sexual tourism' |
| (34 minutes later) | |
| Adidas agreed on Tuesday to stop selling two raunchy T-shirts months ahead of the World Cup in Brazil after the government complained that they associated the country with sexual tourism. | Adidas agreed on Tuesday to stop selling two raunchy T-shirts months ahead of the World Cup in Brazil after the government complained that they associated the country with sexual tourism. |
| One shirt shows a bikini-clad woman with open arms on a sunny Rio de Janeiro beach under the words "Looking to Score". The other has an "I love Brazil" heart resembling the upside-down buttocks of a woman wearing a thong bikini bottom. | One shirt shows a bikini-clad woman with open arms on a sunny Rio de Janeiro beach under the words "Looking to Score". The other has an "I love Brazil" heart resembling the upside-down buttocks of a woman wearing a thong bikini bottom. |
| Adidas – the world's second-largest sportswear maker – said the shirts would not be sold any more, adding in a statement that they were from a limited edition that was only on sale in the US | |
| The shirt designs touched a nerve in Brazil, where people often complain about foreign stereotypes of Brazilian sensuality. Brazil's government is campaigning aggressively to shed the country's reputation as a destination for sex tourism. | The shirt designs touched a nerve in Brazil, where people often complain about foreign stereotypes of Brazilian sensuality. Brazil's government is campaigning aggressively to shed the country's reputation as a destination for sex tourism. |
| "Embratur strongly repudiates the sale of products that link Brazil's image to sexual appeal," the Brazilian tourism board said in a statement that asked the German multinational to pull the shirts from its stores. | "Embratur strongly repudiates the sale of products that link Brazil's image to sexual appeal," the Brazilian tourism board said in a statement that asked the German multinational to pull the shirts from its stores. |
| The shirts went on sale in Adidas shops in the US while Brazil is preparing to host the World Cup soccer tournament, which kicks off on 12 June. | |
| Adidas is one of the main sponsors of the event organised by soccer's governing body, Fifa, and the maker of its official ball. | Adidas is one of the main sponsors of the event organised by soccer's governing body, Fifa, and the maker of its official ball. |
| Dilma Rousseff – Brazil's first female president – said her government would crack down on sex tourism and the exploitation of children and adolescents during the ccompetition, which is expected to draw 600,000 foreign fans. | |
| "Brazil is happy to receive tourists for the World Cup, but it is also ready to combat sex tourism," she said in a burst of Twitter messages that included a hotline number to report cases of sexual exploitation. | "Brazil is happy to receive tourists for the World Cup, but it is also ready to combat sex tourism," she said in a burst of Twitter messages that included a hotline number to report cases of sexual exploitation. |
| The ministry of women's affairs said the shirts were not just offensive to Brazilian women but exposed them to the "barbarism" of sexual predators. | The ministry of women's affairs said the shirts were not just offensive to Brazilian women but exposed them to the "barbarism" of sexual predators. |
| "This is all the more shocking in a country that just elected a women as its highest authority, which brought greater respect for women and zero tolerance for any form of violence against them," a ministry statement said. | "This is all the more shocking in a country that just elected a women as its highest authority, which brought greater respect for women and zero tolerance for any form of violence against them," a ministry statement said. |